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MEXICO'S 
TREASURE    HOUSE 


c^'^ 


MEXICO'S 

Treasure-House 

(GUANAJUATO) 

A7i  Illustrated  and  Descriptive  Account  of 

The  Mines  and.  Their  Operations 

in  1906 


BY 


PERCY  F.  MARTIN,  F.R.G.S. 

Author  of  "Through  Five  Republics  (of  South  America)  1905" 


*  J  AM  not  blind  to  the  unison  of  opinion  as 
expressed  by  scientists  and  experts  that 
Mexico  will  one  day  furnish  the  gold,  silver 
and  copper  of  the  world;  that  from  her 
hidden  vaults,  her  subterranean  treasure 
houses,  will  come  the  gold,  silver,  copper 
and  precious  stones  that  will  build  the  em- 
pires of  to-morrow  and  make  future  cities 
of  this  world  veritable  New  Jerusalems." 
— The  late  Cecil  Khodes. 


44  PAGES  ILLUSTRATIONS  6  PANORAMIC  VIEWS 

2  MAPS  AND  DIAGRAMS 


NEW  YORK 

The  CHELTENHAM  Press 

MCMVI 


Copyright  1906  by 

Percy  Folckk  Martin 

of  6  Gray's  Inn  Square,  W.  C 

London,  England 


Contents. 


rT 


f  / 


PAGE 

7-14 

Earl}^  Days  in  Guanajuato 15-32 

The  State  of  Guanajuato 33-50 

The  "Patio"  Process 51-60 

Labor,  and  Mexican  Peons 61-71 

The  Consolidated  jNIining  &  Milling  Co 72-82 

The  Reduction  &  Mines  Co 83-99 

The  Guanajuato  Development  Co.   (I).  .  .  .  100-111 

The  Guanajuato  Development  Co.   (II)...  112-126 

The  Peregrina  Mining  &  Milling  Co.   (I).  127-139 

The  Peregrina  INIining  &  Milling  Co.  (II)  140-152 

The  Guanajuato  Mineral  Development  Co.  153-162 
The  Guanajuato  Amalgamated  Gold  Mines 

Co 163-176 

Some  Mines  with  Promising  Futures 177-200 

Guanajuato  Power  &  Electric  Co 201-210 

British  Capital  in  Guanajuato 211-228 

Prominent  Men  of  Guanajuato 229-252 

Conclusion. 

LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS.* 


PLATE.  SUBJECT.  FACING 

1.  Panoramic  view  of  the  city  of  Guanajuato,  1906 Title 

FACING   PAGE 

2.  Mexico's  output  of  silver  from  1877-1905 13 

3.  His  Excellency  General  Porfirio  Diaz,  President  of  the 

Republic 21 

4.  A  typical  street  in  the  peon  quarter  of  the  city 29 

5.  A  peon  standing  at  the  door  of  his  house 37 

6.  The  State  Prison,  known  as  "The  Carcel" 45 

7.  Market  day  in   Guanajuato 51 

8.  Church  architecture  in  Guanajuato  District 57 

9.  The  "Patio"  process  at  Guanajuato 63 


Preface  ..  . 
Chapter  I. 
II. 
III. 
IV. 
V. 
VI. 
VII. 
VIII. 
IX. 
X. 
XL 
XII. 

XIII. 

XIV. 

XV. 

XVL 


*The  Photographs  published  in  this  VoKime  have  been  principally  taken  for  the  work  by 
Mr.  Percy  S.  Cox,  of  Indepeiidencia,  Mexico  City,  and  are  now  given  for  tha  first  time.  They  are 
all  Copyrighted.  The  Author  is  also  much  indebted  to  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  R.  H.  Burrows,  of 
Guanajuato,  for  several  of  the  photographs  used. 


PLATE.  SUBJECT.  FACING  PAGE 

10.  Old  style  of  hoisting:  The  horse-whim 69 

1 1.  Quicksilver  room  in  an  old  Patio  mill 73 

12.  General  view  of  The  Consolidated  Mining  &  Milling  Co. 

of    Guanajuato 75 

13.  General  view  of  the  Cj-anide  Plant  belonging  to  The  Con- 

solidated Mining  &  Milling  Co 77 

14.  Cyanide  plant,  office  buildings  and  manager's  residence 

'  of  The  Consolidated  Mining  &  Milling  Co 79 

15.  A  rich  portion  of  the  vein  at  the  fifth  level 81 

16.  The  vein  showing  a  width  of  163  feet  from  the  fifth  to 

the  second  levels. 

17.  Table  showing  official  gold  output  from  1824.-1891.  ...        85 

18.  Boca  Mina,  at  the  Valenciana  Mine  (Reduction  &  Mines 

Co.) 89 

19.  Precipitating  plant  (interior),  Reduction  &  Mines  Co..  .  93 

20.  Precipitating  pl.nit  (exterior).  Reduction  &  Mines  Co..  .  93 

21.  Offices  and  cyanide  plant  at  Hacienda  de  Flores 97 

22.  General  view  of  the  cyanide  plant,  Hacienda  de  Flores.  .  108 

23.  Entrance  to  the  Pinguico  Tunnel;  belonging  to  The  Gua- 

najuato   Development    Co 107 

'2i.     General  shaft  of  El  Cedro  Mine,  belonging  to  the  Gua- 
najuato Develo2)ment  Co Ill 

25.  Claims  belonging  to  the  Central  Group  of  Klines;  The 

Guanajuato    Development    Co 115 

26.  General  view  of  the  Central  Mine,  belonging  to  the  Gua- 

najuato Development  Co 119 

27.  The  Nayal  Custom  Mill,  adjoining  the  Central  Mines; 

property   of   Messrs.   McElhiney   &   Bryant 123 

28.  Site  of  the  new  St.  Matias  Mill,  owned  by  Mr.  Frank  G. 

Peck    127 

29.  The  Bryant  Dam  at  the  Peregrina  Mine,  wliieh  is  now 

completed    131 

SO.     The  Barrcno  shaft  of  the  Peregrina  Mine 135 

31.      Peregrina   iiO-stamp  mill  and   foundation   of    100-stamp 

mill,  the  Peregrina  Mining  &  Milling  Co 139 

82.     House  on  the  San  Isidro  Ranch,  belonging  to  The  Guana- 
juato   Development    Co 145 

33.      Stream  feeding  the  new  reservoir  during  the  dry  season  149 

84.  American  oak  timber  on  the  San  Isidro  Ranch 153 

85.  Basin  to  be  submerged  behind  dam,  San  Isidro  Ranch.  .  157 
S6.      Shaft  and  electric  hoist  at  the  Nueva  Luz  Mine I6I 

37.  I. a  Torre  Mines,  which,  with   the   Nueva   Luz,   are   the 

property  of  tlie  Mineral  Development  Co 165 

38.  JesTi.s  Maria  Mine.  La  Luz,  property  of  the  Amalgamated 

Gold   Mines  Co 169 


PLATE.  SUBJECT.  FACING  PAGE 

39.  Dumps  on  the  Jesus  Maria  Mine,  La  Luz 173 

40.  Map  of  the  Guanajuato  Mining   District,   showing  the 

system  of  veins 179 

41.  The  San  Cayetano  Mine,  property  of  The  United  Mex- 

ican  Mining   Co 183 

42.  Panoramic  view  of  the  town  La  Luz,  of  the  Guanajuato 

District 189 

43.  Yard  of  the  Refugio  Mine,  La  Luz  District,  the  property 

of  The  Guanajuato  Development  Co 197 

44.  The  El  Cubo  Mine,  near  Guanajuato 205 

45.  The  Guanajuato  Power  &  Electric   Co.,  view   of  Com- 

pany's substation  at  Guanajuato 209 

46.  The  Guanajuato  Power  &  Electric  Co.,  interior  of  sub- 

station           215 

47.  Mexico's  output  of  gold,  1877-1905 223 

48.  Map  of  the  Guanajuato  Mining  District,   showing  the 

districts   and  areas 229 

49-     His  Excellency  the  Governor  of  the  Guanajuato  State.  .      236 


PREFACE. 

"Know  thy  opportunity.'' 


-PiTTACUS. 


WORKS  UPON  MEXICO,  although  not 
numerous,  have,  of  late  years  at  least,  been 
readily  procurable;  but  for  the  most  part 
they  have  dealt  with  the  past  history  of  the  Republic, 
relating  to  its  early  troubles  and  ignoring  the  present 
and  future  greatness  of  this  remarkable  country. 

In  regard  to  Mexico's  principal  asset,  viz :  its  mines,  I 
can  but  repeat  the  words  of  the  poet  Byron,  that  "the 
best  of  prophets  of  the  future,  is  the  past";  and  if  only 
what  has  been  will  be  again  the  mineral  wealth  of  all  the 
rest  of  the  world  will  have  to  stand  the  test  of  keen 
comparison,  and  must  be  prepared  to  meet  with  a  shock 
of  surprise. 

A  temporary  visit  to  the  Guanajuato  district,  where 
a  great  revival  of  interest  among  the  mines  has  set  in, 
convinced  me  that  were  the  investing  public  of  the  Uni- 
ted States  and  Great  Britain  to  know  something  more 
than  they  do  about  this  very  remarkable  mineral  camp,  it 
must  prove  of  infinite  benefit  to  them  and  of  material 
advantage  to  Guanajuato  itself. 

Thus,  in  my  travels  through  INIexico  for  the  purpose 
of  collecting  materials  for  a  book  on  the  whole  of  the 
Republic — which  is  to  be  published  towards  the  middle 
of  next  year — I  found  it  expedient  to  tarry  awhile  in 

Page  7 


Mexico's  Treasure-House 


Guanajuato,  and  there  to  study  the  conditions  and 
prospects  of  a  district  which  I  always  beheved,  and  now 
know,  will  one  day  not  far  distant  rival  the  famous  Rand 
itself,  and  prove  to  be  an  important  apartment  in  that 
"treasure-house"  from  which  will  come  the  gold,  silver, 
copper  and  precious  stones  "that  will  build  the  empire 
of  to-morrow,  and  make  future  cities  of  this  world  veri- 
table Jerusalcms."  which  were  the  words  in  which  the 
late  Cecil  Rhodes  once  described  ^lexico. 

"Civilizing  by  syndicate"  is  not  a  bad  method  to 
adopt,  provided  the  members  of  such  "syndicate"  are 
men  of  honor  as  well  as  enterprise,  and  both  remember 
and  observe  the  conditions  under  which  this  kind  of 
civilization  should  be  conducted, — that  is  to  say,  so 
as  to  benefit  the  country  generalty  as  well  as  to  enrich 
themselves.  The  Anglo-Saxon  races  have  already 
"cornered,"  if  I  may  adopt  such  a  term,  four-fifths  of 
the  gold-producing  mines  of  the  world,  and  it  is,  there- 
fore, eminently  fit  that  the  magnificent  mineral  interests 
of  Mexico  should  be  likewise  mainly  in  their  hands.  But 
for  British  capital  in  the  first  instance  and  more  from 
America  in  the  second,  probably  the  mineral  riches  of 
Mexico  might  have  lain  dormant  or  but  imperfectly 
developed  for  many  years,  neither  the  Spanish  pioneers 
nor  the  Mexican  proprietors  having  had  the  means  or 
the  scientific  knowledge  to  work  the  mines  beyond  a  cer- 
tain j)()int.  Forei/.;n  capital  and  foreign  brains  have, 
however,  joined  together  to  some  purpose,  and  the  con- 
sequence of  tills  combination  must  be  as  beneficial  to 
Mexico  and  to  the  Mexicans  as  to  the  enterprising  finan- 
ciers who  ha\e  come  forward  at  the  psychological 
nujment  to  helj)  in  the  country's  development. 


Guanajuato's  Future  9 


The  Guanajuato  gold  and  silver  mines  differ  from 
most  other  mines  of  the  world  inasmuch  as  there  is  ab- 
solutely nothing  conjectural  nor  problematical  about 
them.  For  close  upon  four  hundred  years  they  have 
been  not  only  known  but  actively  worked,  and  they  have 
from  first  to  last  contributed  about  three-fifths  of  the 
total  amount  of  the  world's  supply  of  silver.  "Imag- 
ination rules  the  world,"  as  Napoleon  once  declared; 
there  is,  however,  no  sort  of  imagination  about  this  state- 
ment. 

In  this  unpretentious  volume  I  have  attempted,  to 
the  best  of  my  ability,  to  provide  some  description  of  an 
exceptionally  promising  mining  district,  and  before  all 
the  good  things  in  it  have  been-  appropriated.  It  is  not 
unusual  to  proclaim  the  virtues  of  an  individual  after 
his  death,  ignoring  all  his  abilities  and  attributes  while 
he  is  still  preserved  among  us.  Much  about  the  same 
kind  of  policy  is  adopted  with  regard  to  profitable  com- 
mercial enterprises,  which  are  not  infrequently  intro- 
duced to  public  notice  after  the  cream  has  been  hcked 
off  by  favored  insiders. 

Probably  this  might  have  been  the  case  with  the 
Guanajuato  gold  and  silver  mines,  but  for  the  fortunate 
circumstance  which  brought  me  here  and  which  has  en- 
abled me  to  learn  something  of  the  district  which  is 
destined  shortly  to  astonish  the  investing  world  under 
the  new  regime  of  improved  treatment  and  scientific 
development  through  which  it  is  passing.  I  honestly 
believe  that  Guanajuato  is  destined  to  take  first  rank 
among  the  gold  and  silver  camps  of  the  world,  and  it  is 
because  of  this  conviction  that  I  desire  Anglo-Saxon  in- 
vestors, who  have  followed  my  writings  for  some  twenty 


10  Mexico's  Treasu re-House 


years  upon  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic,  to  share  in  the  gol- 
den possihilities  which  are  here  unfolded. 

In  this  treasure-house  of  ^Mexico — Guanajuato — are 
vast  riches  whicli  may  still  to-day  be  sharcd-in  by  those 
who  have  earl\  knowledge  of  their  opportunities  and 
who  do  not  hesitate  to  avail  themselves  of  them.  The 
time  is  not  yet  when  everything  in  tlie  shape  of  a  sound 
(ruanajuato  property  is  ''up  in  the  skies,"  as  is  the  case 
witli  some  other  Mexican  mines,  such  as  the  Dos  Estrel- 
las  in  Michoacan  State,  the  shares,  of  $100  each,  of 
which  are  selling  for  $8,500  and  have  been  sold  at  the 
stu])endous  figure  of  $9,500.  When  it  is  remembered 
that  in  Mexico  between  the  years  1887  and  1889  as  much 
as  $14,401,048  (say  £2,880,000)  was  produced  by  the 
mines  of  Guanajuato  alone,  sufficient  should  have  been 
said  to  prove  the  great  value  of  these  mines  and  the  ra- 
tional probal)ility  of  their  continuing  to  yield  handsome 
returns  to  their  fortunate  proprietors. 

Those  wlio  ti()ul)le  to  read  the  following  pages  will 
realize  why  it  is  that  these  mines  are  passing  into  the 
hands  of  Anglo-Saxon  capitalists  one  by  one,  and  how 
llie  opjjortunities  which  exist  to-day  for  participating  in 
this  attractive  enterprise  may  soon  fade  away. 

I  would  desire  to  point  out  that  in  the  subjoined 
chaj)ters  I  have  not  availed  myself  of  the  privilege 
claimed  by  so  many  writers,  and  assumed  the  mantle  of 
the  i)r()})lRt.  1  have  contented  myself  with  speaking  of 
things  as  they  actually  are  or  have  been,  rather  than  as 
tliey  may  be:  ])crmitting  my  readers  to  draw  their  own 
conclusions,  which  the  data  and  descriptions  afforded 
should  enable  them  readily  to  do. 

From  niy  varied  experiences,  gathered  upon  nearly 


One  Billion  Dollars!  11 


every  gold-field  of  the  world  and  a  quarter-of-a-cen- 
tury's  uninterrupted  writings  ujjon  such  forms  of  in- 
vestment, I  feel  certain  that  no  necessity  exists  for 
"cramming  facts  down  the  throats"  of  the  intelligent 
reading  public.  I  provide  the  material,  collected  and 
sifted,  if  I  may  say  so,  with  much  care  and  no  small 
amount  of  trouble;  it  is  for  those  who  read  them  to 
accept  or  reject  the  statements  therein  set  forth. 

I  can  only  sslj,  however,  that  those  who  enter  now 
into  the  but  partially  occupied  field  of  industry  which 
the  gold  and  silver  mines  of  Guanajuato  hold  open,  be- 
fore the  finest  of  these  opportunities  have  been  seized 
upon  and  closed,  should  have  but  little  cause  to  regret 
their  decision.  The  invaluable  adjuncts  of  a  stable 
government,  a  settled  country  and  the  best  class  of 
financial  interests  of  the  United  States  and  Great  Brit- 
ain represented  in  the  management  at  work,  are  all 
here;  these  should  form  the  best  recommendations,  next 
to  the  unquestioned  richness  of  the  mines  themselves, 
for  all  who  are  desirous  of  participating  in  Mexico's 
treasures. 

Those  who  have  formed  the  impression  that  the  Rand 
in  the  Transvaal  is  the  only  wonderful  producer  in  the 
world,  and  who  have  heard  of  the  celebrated  West 
Australian  and  British  Columbian  mines,  have  probably 
but  little  knowledge  of  what  the  Mexican  mines,  and 
especially  those  situated  in  the  Guanajuato  district, 
have  achieved.  At  Guanajuato  the  principal  or 
"mother  vein"  has  jdelded  the  sum  of  $1,000,000,000 
(one  billion  dollars),  as  sufficiently  proved  by  the  Mint 
and  Government  records.  The  chief  mines  situated  on 
the   mother   vein    (Veta   Madre)    include   the   famous 


12  Mexico's  Treasure-House 


\'alenciana,  the  Rayas,  the  ^lellado,  the  Cata  and  the 
Sirena,  etc.  Of  these  the  Valenciana  has  been  the 
greatest  silver  prochicer,  having  to  its  credit  the  sub- 
stantial sum  of  $300,000,000  and  having  been  worked 
down  to  a  depth  of  2,400  feet  on  the  inchne.  Taking 
the  ^^■hole  of  these  mines  together,  covering  as  they  do 
an  area  of  10,000  feet  on  its  strike,  the  output  has  been 
over  Ji^800,000,0()0,  while  the  average  depth  worked  with- 
in that  course  has  been  something  less  than  1,.300  feet. 

Perhaps  no  closer  explanation  of  the  output  of  silver 
from  Mexico  during  recent  times  could  be  offered  than 
by  means  of  the  diagram  to  be  found  elsewhere,  for 
A\hieh  I  ma\'  say  I  am  indebted  to  the  courtesy  of  the 
Editor  of  The  Financial  Neics  (of  London,  England), 
and  for  which  great  newspaper  I  have  had  the  honor  to 
act  as  Special  Foreign  Correspondent  for  nearly  a  fifth 
of  a  century. 

It  is  only  necessary  to  add  that  my  illustration  com- 
prises seven  main  perpendicular  divisions,  each  division 
including  four  years'  total  silver  output,  commencing 
witli  the  period  1877-81  and  ending  with  the  period  of 
four  years  1902-5.  At  the  margin  on  either  side  of  the 
design  a  scale  of  million  dollars  is  seen,  rising  from  zero, 
by  equal  divisions  of  $25,000,000,  to  a  total  of  $350,- 
000,000  at  the  summit. 

The  total  output  for  each  period  of  four  j^ears  having 
been  computed  from  official  figures,  vertical  black 
cohimns.  corresponding  by  their  varying  heights  to  the 
amount  i'ov  each  period,  appear  in  each  division,  and  in 
juxtaposition  with  the  scale  in  the  margin.  It  will  be 
seen  from  the  total  figures  given  of  the  ])roduction  of 
sihcr  during  the  four  years  1877-81  on  the  diagram, 


.MEXICO:  OUTPUT  OF  SILVER,I877-I905^. 


5 


JSj:-'81\1SS2-S  \]SSJ-(^\1800-5  \lSi)^'l\lS()8-'0l\lQ02-0S. 


.500 

215 

?.S0 
.225 

20G  . 

.qi  . 

.160 
J2S 


f7£\/CO:      EXPO.^r^    or    .'KSTTALS                               \ 

Sc^  D  . 

IQCO-OI 

/Q0r-03 

ICI02-03 

/qC3  -otf 

/go-f-.os 

00^  S,^.'ii>6 

'gi/s.2s6. 

^.■^6$.il3 

/^••J26-f3'P 

/jd^ii-f( 

^  L\£f> 

.  T2.4lC.e6S 

^^,632.-*-J' 

JJ.SJ^T'^ 

■;q.lio.6<)o 

6Jnsi-ft' 

COPPBH 

-  ii.nv" 

/6a*fssi 

Z0I22.Z38. 

2S.!3-f.2/6 

i^.80J,420 

LE.AD 

.     Xc6ii^S 

sjjosfj- 

SbbeZ'H} 

^  Si.Sb!-8 

<sc^6b^ 

NOTE 

SiLvCK  cosAcc  Of  A/fix/CA^  Mints 
sscs  ADJ55T=  5S4^3q55npcLLM:S 

F^ODUCT'ON  or  Afsx/CAW  Af/zv/cj,  . 
i/A.C£  A  D  /62.'(caf<i}i/etr  er  Mexico)  TO 
PKCifi^r   Tir^t  zf6.ooc,oc<o.ooofi6ocicoc,ooc 


\  —  f 


ICO 


-•50 


25 


O        _1 


liJ^lZ^JOJ 


iSi,4i7gij 


7<H,ic-j.ciq. 


..  ZSO  . 


J2O,Z20.l?6.\    ^2S 


_.-oo_ 


276  - 


^50. 


_..  225. 


200  . 


I-JS 


ISO  . 


.  126  . 


/OO^ 


7^  ■ 

JO   . 
-  25  . 


I'l.it. 


Transformation  in  Progress  13 


that,  compared  with  that  stated  for  the  last  four  years 
(1902-5),  the  output  has  increased  by  no  less  a  sum 
than  $213,458,584  Mex.  (approximately,  £21,346,000, 
or  an  increase  of  200  per  cent,  in  twenty-eight  years. 

The  "inset"  tabulation  of  the  Mexican  exports  of 
metals  from  1900-1  to  1904-5  (shown  in  the  chart) 
would  appear  to  explain  itself.  The  following  com- 
pilation, however,  of  the  percentages  of  increase  and 
decrease  under  the  head  of  each  metal  for  the  two 
periods  1900-1  and  1904-5  may  be  instructive: — 

Exports. 

A ^         Percentage. 

Metal.  1900-1901.  1904-1905.  Inc.  or  Dec. 

Gold    .  .  .  $8,955,536  .  .  $13,696,146  .  .  +  52.9 

Silver*    .  72,420,883  .  .  65,523,646  .  .  -     9.5 

Copper    .  11,177,753  .  .  29,803,420  .  .  +166.6 

Lead   .  .  .  5,066,645  .  .  5,504,669  .  .  +8.6 

Readers  of  these  pages  will  be  able  to  follow  the 
histories,  many  full  of  romance,  of  the  several  properties 
and  glean  also  some  idea  of  what  may  yet  become  of 
them;  for  the  whole  of  the  Guanajuato  Camp  is  un- 
dergoing a  gradual  transformation,  and  many  of  the 
long  neglected  properties  are  finding  new  owners  pos- 
sessed of  ample  funds  to  put  them  once  more  upon  a  pro- 
fit-earning basis,  as  well  as  importing  into  the  manage- 
ment all  the  enterprise,  judgment  and  ability  which 
nowadays  characterize  the  Anglo-Saxon  mining  profes- 
sion.   It  is  only  fit  and  proper  that  a  mining  district  pos- 

*  The  exportation  of  silver  dollars  has  practically  ceased,  silver 
being  now  exported  in  the  form  of  bullion  at  market  value. 


14  Mexico's  TreasurC'-House 


sessed  of  such  a  remarkable  record  as  that  of  Guana- 
juato, and  providing-,  as  I  believe  it  will,  so  line  a  field 
for  future  developments,  should  have  a  volume — how- 
ever modest  be  its  pretensions — devoted  entirely  to  its 
consitleration. 

The  Author. 

Guanajuato,  Mexico,  June.  1906. 


Chapter  I. 


Early  Days  in  Guanajuato. — First  Workings  and  Discovery  of  the 
Mother  Lode. — Some  Remarkable  Prophecies. — Fortunes  Re- 
alised.— De  La  Borde,  Antonio  Obregon  and  Sardaneta. — 
Guanajuato  Described. — The  Origin  of  Its  Name. — "Hill  of 
the  Frogs." — Hidalgo  and  Guanajuato. — The  Carcel  and  Its 
Inmates. — The  Panteon. — Some  Spanish  Architecture. — Places 
of  Interest  and  Note. — A  Town  of  Fine  Residences. — ^Social 
Life  in  Guanajuato. — The  Inhabitants  and  Their  Recreations. 
— The  Reservoir. — The  Tramways. — Cost  of  Living. — Rail- 
way Improvements. 

GUANAJUATO,  the  capital  of  the  state  of  the 
^  same  name,  became  a  city  in  1741,  and  even  a  I 
that  time  possessed  a  population  of  some 
80,000  souls.  Long  before  then,  however,  the  Span- 
iards had  commenced  mining  in  the  district,  the  first 
shaft  in  the  Mellado  mine  having  been  actually  opened 
by  them  on  April  15,  1558,  and  that  of  the  Rayas  mine 
on  April  16,  1558.  Previously  to  that,  even,  a  silver  dis- 
cover}^ had  been  made  at  San  Bernabe,  at  La  Luz,  but 
it  took  a  period  of  nine  years  for  the  early  pioneers  to 
discover  that  there  existed  such  a  thing  as  a  Mother  Lode. 
At  the  point  where  this  discover}^  was  made  the  ore  was 
mined  to  a  width  of  100  feet,  while  the  sinking  of  the 
Mellado  shaft,  above  referred  to,  proved  the  continuity 
of  the  vein  northward  and  mining  speedity  spread  along 
both  sides  of  the  lode,  the  workings  at  about  this  period 
being  from  Tepayac  to  Sirena. 

The  district  has  never  lacked  enthusiastic  recommen- 
dation, and  probably  no  mining  camp  in  the  world  has 
ever  more  deserved  it.     Cortes  sang  its  praises,  even 

Pape  15 


16  Mejrico's  Treasure-House 


imperilling'   his  on\ii    interests   by   so   doing,   since  the 
o-reedy  King  of  Spain  demanded  his  "tithe"  upon  every 
dollar's  worth  of  gold  and  silver  extracted,  and  had  a 
nasty  way  of  showing  that  he  meant  to  have  it.    Hum- 
boldt proclaimed  its  value  from  the  housetops,  and  a 
consequence  of  his  eminent  advocacy  was  that  a  stream 
of  men,  entirely  unfitted  for  or  experienced  in  mining 
in  any  country,  and  especially  one  like  ^lexico  in  those 
troublous  days,  came  out  from  all  parts  of  Europe  and 
succeeded  in  doing  an  injury  both  to  themselves  and  to 
the  country  which  they  afflicted.     In  later  days  promi- 
nent mining  experts  like  iMr.  John  Kays  Hammond 
have  pronounced  unhesitatingly  in  favor  of  Guanajuato 
camp,  this  gentleman,  with  a  world-wide  experience  to 
guide  him,  having  declared  his  belief  that  "the  district 
of  Guanajuato  is  the  most  thoroughly  mineralized  zone 
in  the  known  world  for  gold  and  silver."    Even  from  the 
crrave  comes  additional  testimonv  to  ^lexico's  remark- 
able  richness,  for  on  one  memorable  occasion  now  re- 
called with  interest — "for  he  who  is  dead  yet  speaketh" 
— Cecil   Rhodes   expressed  his  firm  conviction   in  the 
future  greatness  of  this  richly  endowed  country.     "It 
is  my  opinion,"  said  the  distinguished  Empire-Builder, 
"that  tlie  richest  mining  countries  in  the  world  are  ]Mex- 
ico,  Peru  and   Bolivia,  especially  Mexico.     I  am  not 
blind  to  the  unison  of  opinion  as  expressed  by  scientists 
and  experts  that  Mexico  will  one  day  furnish  the  gold, 
silver,  copper  of  the  world ;  that  from  her  hidden  vaults, 
her  subterranean  treasure-houses,  will  come  the  gold, 
silver,  copper  and  precious  stones  that  will  build  the  em- 
pires of  to-morrow  and  make  future  cities  of  this  world 
veritable   New  Jerusalems." 


Some  Lucky  Mine-Owners  17 

There  are  stories  more  or  less  common  gossip  to-day 
among  the  Mexican  peons  of  vast  fortunes  taken  out  of 
some  Mexican  mines,  one  evidence  of  which  is  to  be 
found  not  alone  in  the  magnificent  residences  which  the 
lucky  owners  built  for  themselves  out  of  the  proceeds, 
but  in  the  form  of  handsome  churches  and  chapels  which 
they  piously  constructed  and  richly  endowed  as  a  thank- 
offering.  There  was  the  colossally  rich  Joseph  de  la 
Borde,  a  Frenchman  who,  in  1743,  won  $18,000,000  out 
of  the  Canada  mine,  and  again,  in  1762,  took  $12,000,- 
000  out  of  the  Tasco  mine.  One  Jose  Sardaneta  ex- 
tracted $11,000,000  from  the  Rayas  mine,  and  An- 
tonio Obregon  was  half-owner  of  another  property 
which  yielded  to  its  fortunate  proprietors  a  trifle  of 
$226,000,000!    "What  has  been,  may  be  again." 

The  City  of  Guanajuato  is  practically  enclosed  by  the 
high  precipitous  mountains  which  surround  it,  the  prin- 
cipal entrance  being  through  the  Canada  de  Marfil. 
This  cailada  terminates  southward  in  the  lofty  and  steep 
"Bufa,"  a  mountain  crowned  with  curious-looking 
rocks,  about  1,050  feet  high,  measured  from  the  bot- 
tom of  the  valley.  On  the  loftiest  of  the  northern 
slopes  are  located  the  celebrated  Valenciana,  Mellado 
and  Rayas  mines.  Easterly  and  northeasterly,  the  Sire- 
na  Mountains  rise  about  1,200  feet,  while  southwesterly 
between  Guanajuato  and  Marfil,  the  mountains  become 
less  rugged  and  considerably  lower,  sloping  rapidly 
towards  the  city.  From  this  eminence  one  can  look 
down  upon  a  portion  of  the  town,  but  never  at  any  time 
can  one  obtain  a  complete  view  of  the  whole  place,  wind- 
ing a  little,  as  it  does,  and  nestling  deep  down  in  the 
shade  of  the  cafion. 


18  Mexico's  Treasure-IIouse 

The  low  hills  afford  from  the  southwest  a  splendid 
perspective  of  the  plains  of  Celaya  and  Salamanca.  The 
surrounding  heights  are  practically  bare  of  timber  now, 
although  at  one  time  it  is  believed  they  were  well  covered 
with  American  oak,  which  grows  well  here.  ^Slost  of  the 
a^  ailable  timber  was  cut  down  by  both  sides  during  the 
War  of  Independence,  while  in  the  early  days  of  the 
Republic  no  steps  were  adopted  to  prevent  further  de- 
struction, and  no  new  trees  were  planted.  The  heights 
to-day  are  only  overgrown  with  low  but  thick  scrub,  and 
various  kinds  of  cactus.  On  the  other  hand,  near  by 
there  are  some  good  plantations  of  mezquite,  or  iron- 
wood,  which  is  valuable  for  the  mines  and  building  pur- 
poses also.  An  unlimited  amount  of  broken  rock  and 
stones,  ahnost  every  size,  is  found  ready  to  hand,  and 
is  largely  utilized,  for  constructing  small  houses  for  the 
miners,  while  the  loose  soil  is  likewise  used  for  adobe 
bricks,  made  much  after  the  style  in  Egypt,  the  stuiF 
hardening  splendidly  in  the  sun,  and  forming  a  very 
durable  and  substantial  material  for  walls  and  flooring 
at  practically  no  cost  but  that  of  the  labor  itself. 

How  the  City  of  Guanajuato,  like  the  State  itself, 
derived  its  name  no  one  knows,  although  the  guide-book 
editor  and  the  local  quidnunc  will  glibly  tell  you  all 
about  it.  What  is  certain,  however,  is  that  while  the 
modern  spelling  of  the  word  is  as  written  above,  the 
actual  pronunciation  is  entirely  different,  being  as 
nearly  as  possilile  thus:  " W an-ah-xcah-to."  The  word 
is  evidently  Tarascan  or  Otomite  in  origin,  or  even, 
perhaps,  Toltec.  Handed  down,  as  it  has  been,  by 
Spanish  translators  from  generation  to  generation,  both 
the  precise  pronunciation  and  the  original  significance 


"The  Hill-of-Frogs''  19 

have  been  lost.  It  is  said  that  the  ancient  Tarascan  In- 
dians called  the  place  the  "Hill  of  Frogs."  This,  how- 
ever, is  the  merest  conjecture,  and  certainly  there  is 
nothing  about  the  formation  of  the  country  to  warrant 
the  description  of  a  "frog"  being  applied  to  it  more 
than  that  of  any  other  animal,  while  it  is  obvious  that 
the  name  could  not  apply  to  the  whole  surrounding 
country  even  if  it  related  to  any  particular  portion  of 
it.  Furthermore,  there  are  but  few  frogs  or  animals  of 
the  same  species  found  in  the  neighborhood  which  would 
account  in  any  way  for  the  designation  now  commonly 
attributed  to  the  country. 

Among  the  cave-dwellings  and  rocks  found  among 
the  ancient  remains  of  Guanajuato  have  been  discovered 
certain  stone-figures,  doubtless  deities  among  the  an- 
cient Indians,  and  which,  to  the  highly  imaginative  eye, 
may  resemble  frogs.  This  fact  is  seized  upon  as  evi- 
dence to  prove  the  derivation  of  the  title  "Hill  of 
Frogs";  but,  on  the  other  hand,  other  stone  images 
of  other  strange  animals  have  been  found  in  the  same 
places,  so  that  this  explanation  is  only  partially  accept- 
able after  all. 

If  this  were  a  guide-book,  much  could  be  written  about 
the  attractions  of  Guanajuato  City  as  a  tourist  center 
but  it  is  not  such  a  publication,  nor  has  it  indeed  any 
ambition  to  be  so  considered;  while,  as  has  been  pre- 
viously pointed  out,  Guanajuato  does  not  lie  upon  the 
beaten  track  of  tourists  coming  to  Mexico,  yet  several 
stray  specimens  of  that  wandering  class  occasionally 
find  their  way  there. 

Nevertheless  the  city  is  replete  with  interesting  sights 
and  memories,  inseparable,  indeed,  from  the  historj^  of 


20  Mexico's  Treasure-House 


the  Republic  itself.  For  instance,  the  State  prison,  a 
c()iisj)icu()us  object,  situated  in  the  very  centre  of  the 
town,  is  alone  worth  a  visit  to  Guanajuato  to  see  and 
hear  about.  Ori^rinally  this  place  was  built  as  a  Cham- 
ber of  Coninierce,  and  in  178.5  was  dedicated  to  the 
peaceful  uses  of  trade  and  industry.  The  Alhondi^a,  or 
Castillo  de  Granaditas,  is  a  perfectly  square,  flat-roofed, 
solid-looking  building,  not  in  the  least  suggestive  of 
anything  else  but  what  it  is — a  gaol. 

The  prison  regime  in  Mexico  certainly  does  not  err 
upon  the  side  of  harshness,  if  one  may  judge  from  the 
lenient  manner  in  which  prisoners  of  the  Carcel  at  Guan- 
ajuato are  treated.  The  building  itself  is  not  particu- 
larly gloomy  except  from  the  outside,  the  interior  being 
formed  of  the  usual  "patio,"  with  different  departments, 
devoted  to  various  trades  followed  by  the  prisoners, 
opening  off  it.  The  centre  of  the  patio  is  occupied  by  a 
large  square  basin  of  water,  wherein  the  prisoners  are 
compelled  to  bathe  and  indidge  in  what,  to  the  most  of 
them,  at  least,  nmst  be  the  novelty  of  a  cold  shower. 
The  sleeping  accommodation  is  cleanly  and  healthful, 
but  not  precisely  luxurious.  The  food  which  is  given 
is  wholesome  and  plentiful,  but  not  especially  appe- 
tising. The  prisoners  are  allowed  perfect  freedom  in 
walking  about  the  building  and  even  mounting  to  the 
flat  roof  and  there  viewing  the  city  lying  beneath  them. 
Probably  some  of  the  Lrmiates  of  the  Carcel  are  better 
ofl'  where  they  are  than  they  would  be  in  wretched 
hovels  whieh  some  of  them  know  as  "home."  Some  of 
the  ver}'  long-.sentenced  men,  who  are  held  for  murder  or 
some  other  serious  off*ence,  are  sent  out  daily  to  work  on 
the  roads  or  new  j)ublie  l)uildings,  and  they  are  not  (lis- 


JIis    l'>\M.i.i  r.\<  ^•    (ii'.NiKAi     Don    I*(>i;i  iimo    Diaz. 

l'l«M<|(iil   <irtlic    |{()iiil)lic  of  Mexico. 


riat.     {.1 


Hidalgo,  The  Patriot  Priest 21 

pleased  at  the  privilege,  either.  After  all,  their  forced 
labor  is  not  very  unlike  their  customary  voluntary  ser- 
vice, and  the  food  they  receive  is  somewhat  better. 

The  rebelHous  priest,  Hidalgo,  whose  history  forms 
one  of  the  most  striking  examples  of  heroism,  and  whose 
end  was  that  of  most  patriots  who  were  born  "a  little  too 
soon," — a  painful  and  humiliating  death,  took  this  ap- 
parently impregnable  stronghold  in  the  early  part  of 
the  uprising  against  the  Spanish  domination.  Hidalgo, 
however,  was  himself  captured  later  at  Chihuahua,  and, 
having  been  held  in  prison  there,  was  brought  to  Guana- 
juato, and,  in  company  with  other  patriotic  but  unsuc- 
cessful leaders — AUende,  Aldama,  and  Jimenez — was 
executed  in  this  prison,  the  heads  being  suspended  by 
the  hair  on  iron  hooks  at  its  four  corners.  To-day, 
handsome  marble  tablets,  inscribed  in  gigantic  letters  of 
gold  with  the  names  of  the  four  sufferers,  occupy  the 
places  where  the  hooks  with  their  gastly  burdens  were 
previously  placed. 

The  legend  connected  with  the  taking  of  this  prison 
says  that  Hidalgo  called  for  a  volunteer  from  among 
his  followers  to  come  forth  and  set  fire  to  the  building's 
massive  doors.  Immediately  an  enthusiastic  Mexican 
peon  presented  himself — there  was  no  lack  of  heroes  in 
those  inspiriting  times — and,  binding  a  huge  square 
slab  of  paving  stone  on  his  broad  back,  doubtless  to 
w  ard-off  the  shots  and  pieces  of  rock  hurled  down  upon 
him  from  the  roof  of  the  building  by  its  defenders,  he 
actually  succeeded  in  accomplishing  his  object.  The 
name  of  this  "peon-patriot"  has  been  lost  in  obscurity, 
but  a  stone  statue  representing  the  unknown  hero  with 
the  stone  bound  to  his  back  and  a  flaming  torch  in  his 


Mexico's  Treasure-House 


hand  has  been  erected  to  his  memory  and  reposes  in  the 
interior  of  the  Carcel,  well  protected  by  heavy  iron 
raihnt^s.  It  bears  no  inscription,  since  the  name  of  the 
individual  is  no  longer  known.  To  this  day,  however, 
the  stray  visitor  is  shown  some  deep  and  no  doubt  per- 
fectly genuine  crimson  stains  on  the  heavy  stone  pillars 
of  the  principal  stair-case,  which  are  declared  to  be  the 
veritable  blood  of  the  \actims  who  fell  in  the  taking  of 
the  Alhon(hga.  There  is  probably  a  great  deal  more 
foundation  for  this  belief  than  for  most  other  narra- 
tives of  a  similar  nature.  Certainly  the  events  narrated 
are  of  comparatively  recent  occurrence,  and  it  is  not 
merely  a  question  of — "si  non  e  verro,  e  ben  trovato." 

For  those  Avho  revel  in  the  weird  and  the  gruesome, 
there  is  the  Panteon,  which  strongly  reminds  one  of 
the  catacombs  at  San  Calixto  at  Rome  or  those  at 
Paris.  The  vaults  contain  some  hundreds  of  skeletons 
of  (lead  and  almost  forgotten  human  beings,  who  once 
peacefully  reposed  in  decent  Christian  graves,  but  who. 
owing  to  the  reluctance  or  inability  of  their  surviving 
relatives  to  ])ay  the  rent,  have  been  ignominiously 
evicted,  and  now  stand  in  their  serried  ranks  in  this 
gloomy  charnel-house,  awaiting  final  dissolution.  It 
seems  that  the  lease  of  an  ordinary  tomb,  or  a  receptacle 
in  the  wall,  is  for  five  years.  If,  at  the  end  of  that  time, 
no  renewal  is  arranged  for,  the  poor  body  is  turned  out 
and  takes  its  ])lace,  as  I  have  said,  side  by  side  with  other 
evicted  corpses.  Here  they  may  be  inspected  by  means 
of  a  special  ])ermit  from  the  Government  authorities. 
Formerly  the  skeletons  remained  absolutely  uncovered; 
but,  owing  to  the  propensity  of  visitors  for  stealing  the 
I)oor  things'  bones,  and  i)erhaps  also  from  a  latent  mo- 


Spanish  Architecture  23 

tive  of  decency,  white  sheets  now  hang  from  the  necks 
downwards,  conceahng  from  view  all  but  the  grinning 
skulls  and  the  lower  parts  of  the  legs.  It  would  not  be 
amiss  were  the  authorities  to  proceed  a  little  further  and 
close  this  part  of  the  Panteon  altogether. 

In  Guanajuato  may  be  seen  some  of  the  very  finest 
of  the  many  fine  specimens  of  ancient  Spanish  architec- 
ture, especially  among  the  numerous  Churches,  of  which 
nearly  every  famous  mine  still  possesses  a  magnificent 
specimen.  The  style  in  Mexico  is  something  between 
Aztec  and  Spanish,  and  yet  wholly  characteristic  of 
neither.  The  main  and  most  interesting  features  are 
the  patio  and  the  Moorish  domes,  arches  and  towers.  The 
patio  is  admittedly  Aztec  in  origin,  although  the  Span- 
iards also  employed  it  in  their  houses,  if  not  in  pre- 
cisely the  same  form  or  for  the  same  purposes.  The 
splendid  arches  to  be  found  throughout  Mexico,  and 
some  beautiful  specimens  of  which  are  met  with  support- 
ing prosaic  hacienda  walls  in  Guanajuato,  are  distinctly 
Spanish.  Even  the  most  ordinary  architecture  is  im- 
proved by  such  artistic  additions.  The  great  Moorish 
domes  and  elaborately  carved  fronts  on  some  of  the 
Churches,  such  as  those  at  the  Valenciana  mine  and  the 
one  facing  the  Bustos  Mill  at  Guanajuato,  are  particu- 
larly fine;  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  Guanajuato  people 
will  treasure  these  relics  of  the  past  carefully  and  as  a 
trust,  not  allowing  the  "improving"  hand  of  the  builder 
to  touch  even  as  much  as  a  stone  or  a  crack  of  them. 

I  have  visited  a  dozen  little  places,  both  large  and 
small,  in  Italy,  Sicily  and  some  parts  of  Spain  which 
remind  me  forcibly  of  Guanajuato,  more  especially  since 
the  awful  visitation  of  July,  1905,  when,  as  the  result  of 


24  Mexico's  Treasurc-Housc 

a  (.'loud-lnirst  in  the  hills,  a  large  portion  of  the  centre 
of  the  town  was  reduced  to  ruins,  the  results  of  which 
calamity  are,  however,  fast  disappearing.  But  there  all 
resemblance  ceases.  Guanajuato  is  as  clean  and  as  trim 
as  Italy  and  Sicily  are  slovenly  and  dirty;  the  people 
are  as  bright  and  as  cheerful  as  the  Italians  auvl  Span- 
iards are  depressed  and  poverty-stricken.  But  the  same 
glorious  skies  of  cerulean  blue  spread  above  both,  and 
the  same  brilliant  green  foliage  is  to  be  found  in  one  and 
all  these  towns  alike. 

Guanajuato  is  a  strange  mixture  and  assimilation  of 
the  old  and  the  new,  of  the  picturesque  and  the  strictly 
utilitarian.  Side  by  side  with  a  humble  adobe  dwelling, 
towers  some  handsome  edifice  surrounded  by  its  beauti- 
ful gardens.  It  is  difficult  to  convey  an  adequate  idea 
of  the  beauty  of  the  town's  pride-building,  the  "Teatro 
Juarez,"  a  structure  which,  to  the  sceptical  observer, 
might  appear  almost  too  magnificent  for  the  towni 
which  it  adorns,  and  too  capacious  for  the  number  of  in- 
liahitants  which  it  contains.  There  is  many  a  provincial 
town  in  England  and  France,  to  say  nothing  of  the  Uni- 
ted States  of  America,  which  would  be  extremely  and 
properly  proud  to  own  so  stately  a  building  as  the 
"Teatro  Juarez,"  which  overlooks  the  Jardin  de  la 
Union,  and  completely  dominates  it.  The  design  is  of 
modern  architecture  and  of  the  highly  ornate  style,  the 
exterior  being  built  of  the  beautiful  green-stone  found 
in  the  neighboring  hills.  Its  superb  portico  is  supported 
by  a  double  row  of  six  Ionic  pillars,  the  portico  itself 
being  in  two  low  tiers  surmounted  by  a  terraced  bal- 
cony, with  eight  superb  allegorical  bronze  figures.  The 
supporting  c(j4umns  are  constructed  of  discs  of  green- 


Some  of  Guanajuato's  Buildings  25 

stone,  laid  one  upon  another.  The  bronze  lamps  and 
their  finely  moulded  supports,  the  broad  and  sweeping 
flights  of  stone  steps  leading  up  to  the  entrance  hall,  to- 
gether with  the  handsome  wrought  iron- work  of  the 
railings  and  window  balconies,  are  about  as  fine  as  one 
would  see  in  a  city  of  the  greatest  pretensions.  If  the 
exterior  is  magnificent  the  auditorium  is  no  less  so,  be- 
ing richly  decorated,  carved  and  upholstered.  The 
theatre  possesses  one  of  the  finest  foyers  that  I  have 
seen,  almost  as  fine  as  that  of  the  celebrated  Opera- 
House  at  Paris,  furnished  in  a  sumptuous  manner,  and 
elaborately  paved  with  semi-transparent  glass  tiles. 

Another  superb  building  is  that  of  the  Palace  of 
Legislature,  which  was  inaugurated  by  President  Diaz 
in  November,  1903.  The  edifice,  however,  was  actually 
completed  three  years  previous,  at  a  cost  of  over  $150,- 
000.00  Mex.  The  Architect  was  Louis  Long,  and  the 
whole  of  the  decorative  painting  was  done  by  Claudio 
^lolina  and  Nicolas  Gonzalez.  The  structure  is  a  three- 
story  one  of  solid  masonry,  the  ground  floor  of  which  is 
occupied  by  the  revenue  office  and  treasury.  The  halls 
of  Congress  are  situated  on  the  first  floor,  the  Tribunals 
of  Justice  being  on  the  second  and  the  archives  rooms 
on  the  third.  The  first  story  front  rests  on  twelve  slen- 
der, graceful  columns,  and  four  bronze  and  crystal  elec- 
tric light  clusters  stand  in  the  angles  of  the  courtyard. 
The  Congress-hall  is  divided  into  two  parts, — one  being 
for  the  State  deputies  and  the  other  for  the  Public.  The 
walls  are  hung  with  oil  paintings  representing  distin- 
guished Mexicans,  such  as  the  patriot-priest  Hidalgo, 
President  Benito  Juarez,  President  Porfirio  Diaz,  Cor- 
tazer,  Abasolo,  Aldama  and  Doblado.     These  pictures. 


26  Mexico's  Trcasure-House 

together  with  tlie  furniture,  cost  over  $100,000  Mex. 
Among  otlier  notahle  features  of  Guanajuato  to-day 
may  he  mentioned  tlie  Esperanza  Reservoir,  the  Elec- 
trical Power  IMant,  the  Parque  Porfirio  Diaz,  known 
as  "El  Cantador,"  and  the  Presa  de  la  Olla.  The  State 
College,  where  a  magnificent  collection  of  mineral  speci- 
mens has  been  got  together,  is  also  a  notable  addition 
to  the  possessions  of  this  well-favored  town. 

Guanajuato  is,  moreover,  singularly  fortunate  in  the 
possession  of  a  number  of  beautiful  private  residences, 
the  great  majority  of  which  are  conspicuous,  not  alone 
!)y  the  elegance  of  their  architecture,  but  by  the  superb 
gardens  which  front  and  sometimes  suround  them. 
Owing  to  the  curious  conformation  of  the  ground  upon 
which  the  town  of  Guanajuato  is  built,  viz:  a  deep  ravine 
through  which  runs  the  erratic  and  broken  course  of  the 
river-bed,  some  of  the  houses  stand  very  high,  while 
others  are  located  on  a  much  low^er  level,  the  gardens 
running  up  or  down  as  the  nature  of  the  ground  dic- 
tates. Every  kind  of  sub-tropical  plants  and  flowers 
are  to  be  found  in  these  beautiful  gardens,  which,  viewed 
from  a  height,  afford  one  the  impression  that  Guana- 
juato is  situated  on  one  huge  green  oasis,  nestling  cosily 
in  the  hollow  of  the  eternal  hills  which  surround  it. 
There  is  an  air  of  delicious  freedom  and  quietness  about 
the  })lace  almost  dece])tive,  since,  especially  of  late 
moFiths,  it  has  become  the  centre  of  a  considerable 
activity  which  promises  to  become  more  pronounced  as 
the  mines  are  more  largely  opened  up.  The  Central  Plaza 
or  Jardin  is  a  rendezvous  for  all  "the  rank,  fashion  and 
!)cauty"  of  Guanajuato  at  midday  and  at  sunset  when 
the  dav's  work  Is  finished.     Here  the  Mexicans  of  tlie 


Social  Life  27 

lower  class  assemble,  and  in  their  motly  attire  and  mul- 
ti-colored blankets  form  as  curious  and  amusing  a  gath- 
ering as  one  would  meet  with  in  a  day's  march.  They  are 
a  quiet  and  well-behaved  crowd,  the  only  disturbing  ele- 
ment being  the  noisy  newspaper  boys  and  itinerant  ven- 
dors, who,  here  as  elsewhere,  proclaim  their  wares  in 
strident  accents  suggestive  of  excellent  lungs  but  little 
consideration  for  others  who  possess  "nerves." 

A  very  pleasant  phase  of  Guanajuato's  social  life  is 
the  good  feeling  and  bonhomie  which  exist  between  the 
various  foreigners  living  there.  Naturally  the  American 
element  predominates,  but  there  are  a  few  Britishers  and 
one  or  two  Germans  who  provide  the  necessary  leven- 
ing  element,  the  result  being  a  decidedly  agreeable  little 
coterie  all  being  upon  excellent  terms  with  one  another 
and  au  mieux  with  the  native  official  classes.  The  Guan- 
ajuato Club — or  "Casino"  as  it  is  termed — is  the  rendez- 
vous of  all  the  "good  fellows"  of  the  town,  and  at  almost 
any  time  of  the  evening  or  on  a  holiday  one  may  be  cer- 
tain of  meeting  with  some  congenial  companion.  There 
is  a  technical  society  here  also  known  as  the  "Saturday 
Night  Club,"  where  most  of  the  leading  mining  men 
come  into  town  and  meet  in  informal  conference.  That 
the  foreigners  living  in  and  around  Guanajuato  are  very 
popular  with  the  Mexicans  is  an  undoubted  fact.  They 
are  few  in  number  but  very  influential,  and  no  act  of 
charity  or  to  the  public  advantage  is  ever  allowed  by 
them  to  escape  their  attention  and  active  co-operation. 
Moreover,  both  the  Americans  and  the  Englishmen  are 
good  to  their  own  people  and  to  one  another,  as  numer- 
ous deeds  of  kindness  and  generosity,  of  which  I  have 
personal  knowledge,  testify.     Altogether  Guanajuato 


28  Mexico's  Treasure-House 


may  be  termed  a  verj^  desirable  place  in  which  to  live,  as 
much  by  reason  of  its  social  attraction  as  its  magnificent 
climate,  picturesque  surroundings  and  splendid  business 
opportunities.  Undoubtedly  the  city  to-day  contains 
some  of  the  brightest  and  most  accomplished  men  in  the 
mining  and  engineering  profession,  men  of  whom  the 
scientific  and  commercial  world  are  destined  to  hear  a 
\  cry  great  deal  more  in  the  future. 

Finally,  in  Guanajuato  they  are  a  cheery  lot  of  men 
and  kind,  hospitable  women,  who  live  up  to  the  creed 
of  Ovid,  lover  of  good  things.  "Et  res  non  semper,  spes 
inihi  semper  adest." 

Apart  altogether  from  its  great  interest  as  a  mining 
centre,  Guanajuato  nmst  always  hold  great  historical 
value  as  the  place  where  Hidalgo  won  his  greatest  suc- 
cess, and  which,  indeed,  became  his  headquarters.  In 
his  day  the  city  was  considered  one  of  the  richest  and 
most  important  in  the  country,  and  although  after  the 
several  revolutions  which  followed  the  severance  from 
Spain,  Guanajuato  fell  somewhat  from  its  lofty  estate, 
it  is  at  the  present  time  fast  regaining  its  former  import- 
ance and  even  adding  to  it.  British  and  American  capi- 
tal is  coming  in  more  rapidly  and  with  greater  results 
than  in  any  other  part  of  the  Republic.  Almost  every 
street  and  many  of  the  houses  in  Guanajuato  speak  yet 
of  Hidalgo  and  his  concpiering  followers,  for  things  out- 
wardly, at  least,  have  changed  very  little  in  the  city. 
It  was  on  the  13th  of  September,  in  1810,  that  Hidalgo 
commenced  his  revolt  against  Spain  and  the  rapidity 
\N  ith  \N  hich  he  collected  his  followers  around  him  was  not 
the  least  remarkable  feature  of  his  short  but  successful 
campaign.     It  is  said  that  his  army  was  got  together  in 


.-"3^* 


(.lANA.II    aim:     a     '1'nIIIAI.     Sllil.l.T     IN      llll.     I'l.oN     (^lAliTKlt 

oi     llll.  C"^l^■. 

I'lat.-  X.\ 


The  Deeds  of  Hidalgo  29 


the  space  of  24  hours,  and  just  before  coming  to  Guana- 
juato he  captured  two  other  towns,  San  FeHpe  and  San 
Miquel  el  Grande,  seizing  all  the  foreigners'  property 
and  destroying  their  houses,  a  similar  policy  being  pur- 
sued in  Guanajuato  itself.  Here  had  been  gathered  to- 
gether an  immense  amount  of  valuable  treasure,  since  the 
Spaniards  had  brought  in  all  their  hoards  of  gold,  silver, 
quicksilver  and  family  jewels,  thinking  that  in  the  Al- 
hondiga,  strongly  fortified  as  it  was  and  under  the  pro- 
tection of  the  Intendant  himself,  they  were  perfectly 
safe.  But  the  victorious  Hidalgo  not  only  took  the 
Alhondiga  and  killed  the  Intendant  and  the  Spaniards, 
but  appropriated  the  whole  of  their  accumulated 
treasure  and  found  it  extremely  useful  for  maintaining 
his  army  of  patriotic  assassins,  and  keeping  them  in 
good  humor. 

The  Guanajuato  Tramways  Company  runs  a  local 
service  with  three  branches  as  follows:  The  main  line 
from  Marfil  to  Guanajuato,  serving  the  city  and  the  res- 
idential portion  as  far  as  La  Presa,  that  being  the  ter- 
minus ;  a  branch  line  to  Pastita,  and  a  second  branch  to 
Bustos.  The  traction  is  by  means  of  mules,  it  being  con- 
templated to  change  the  power  to  electricity,  however, 
at  some  later  date. 

The  water  supply  of  the  city  is  both  ample  in  quantity 
and  excellent  in  quality.  The  watershed  is  situated  high 
up  in  the  surrounding  mountains,  and  is  actively  pa- 
trolled by  police  for  the  purpose  of  preventing  any  foul- 
ing or  tampering  with  the  supply.  La  Esperanza  dam 
is  a  magnificent  piece  of  work,  and  reflects  as  much 
credit  upon  the  constructors  as  it  does  upon  the  enter- 
prise of  the  town  in  building  it. 


30  Meocico's  Treasure-House 

The  telephone  service  is  at  present  confined  to  private 
installations,  but  a  Company  has  been  formed  to  intro- 
duce a  j)ublic' service  upon  the  most  approved  principles, 
pud  which  will  connect  Guanajuato  with  ]\Iexico  City. 

Living  in  Guanajuato,  if  considered  in  all  its  aspects, 
is  certainly  not  expensive,  and  compares  favorably  with 
the  prices  paid  in  other  cities.  House  rents  are,  however, 
continually  augmenting;  but  this  may  be  explained  by 
the  fact  that  the  foreign  resident  population  is  contin- 
ually increasing;  houses  with  fine  gardens  which 
formerly  let  for  $25  ]Mex.  (say  £2/10)  a  month,  now 
fetch  $100  Mex.  (£10)  a  month,  and  accommodation  is 
extremely  difficult  to  obtain.  The  hotels,  of  which  there 
are  l)ut  three  in  the  city  of  any  consequence,  are  at  pres- 
ent unable  to  accommodate  all  the  guests. 

Even  to  the  visitor  who  is  "no  miner,"  a  walk  around 
a  Guanajuato  mine  must  inevitably  prove  of  great  in- 
terest, and  indeed  a  source  of  some  wonderment  also. 
^Vhether  one  pauses  at  the  outset  to  watch  the  busy, 
hurrj'ing  throngs  below — men,  women  and  children 
hastening  here,  there  and  everywhere,  climbing  up  the 
winding  road  or  stumbling  down  the  path  from  the  main 
entrance,  reminding  the  spectator  strongly  of  "Jacob's 
Ladder"  and  its  angel  hosts;  whether  one  examines 
the  huge  mounds  of  as  yet  untreated  ore ;  measures  with 
the  eye  the  huge  excavations  along  the  outcrop  of  the 
I)rincipal  vein — some  with  a  breadth  of  something  like 
200  ft.  between  walls  and  40  ft.  deep;  enters  the 
gigantic  cavernous  stope,  which  has  a  width  of  20  ft., 
a  iieight  of  300  ft.  and  a  length  of  300  ft.;  or  lingers 
above  ground  to  admire  the  beautiful  panorama  of  open 
country  and  stretches  of  rolling  mountains  for  hundreds 


The  Old  Order  and  The  New  31 

of  miles — the  experience  is  both  a  novel  and  a  delightful 
one  in  the  extreme. 

One  can  indulge  uninterruptedly  in  day-dreams,  if  one 
is  that  way  inclined,  for  the  neighborhood  is  strongly 
suggestive  of  romance  and  stirring  tradition,  conjuring 
up  visions  of  the  ancient  Indians,  with  their  fire  and 
water  appliances,  toiling  for  the  silver  contained  in  the 
rocks;  picture  heroic  Hidalgo  himself  with  his  20,000 
followers  announcing  "the  independence  of  Mexico," 
and  being  joined  by  the  inhabitants  marching  tri- 
umphantly into  Guanajuato  and  satisfying  their  feel- 
ings by  levelling  every  important  residence  in  the  place. 
But  those  days  of  strife  and  turmoil,  of  revolution  and 
counter  revolution,  have  forever — let  us  hope — disap- 
peared, and  only  peaceful  toil  " —  humble  toil  and 
heavenward  duty,  these  that  form  the  perfect  man — " 
now  disturbs  the  quietude  of  nature.  Here  for  hundreds 
of  years  men  have  wrestled  with  the  hard,  unyielding 
rocks  for  their  concealed  treasure ;  and  here,  for  manj^ 
more  years  to  come,  will  man's  latest  mechanical  devices 
wring  from  the  reluctant  earth  every  single  grain  of 
precious  metal  that  remains  uncollected. 

The  only  drawback  to  the  complete  success  of  the  City 
of  Guanajuato  as  a  place  of  residence,  namely,  the  ab- 
sence of  direct  railway  connection,  is  shortly  to  be  re- 
moved, and  probably  by  the  end  of  the  current  year  the 
long  devised  and  much  wanted  plans  for  the  Central 
Railway  line  direct  into  the  city,  will  have  been  consum- 
mated. The  right  of  way  through  the  long  route  from 
Marfil  to  Guanajuato,  about  four  miles  and  at  present 
traversed  by  a  primitive  mule  tramway,  has  been  se- 
cured and  the  construction  of  the  extension  is  to  be  com- 


32  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

menced  immediately.  The  San  Gregorio  branch  rail- 
way, which  at  present  also  terminates  at  Marfil,  is  to  be 
provide<l  with  a  station  in  the  City  of  Guanajuato  like- 
wise and  this  will  afford  connection  with  the  National 
Railway  at  Salamanca.  This  new  railway  accommoda- 
tion means  an  inmiense  deal  for  the  mining  interests, 
\\  hich  are  at  present  somewhat  adversely  affected  by  the 
inadecjuate  arrangements  for  bringing  in  supplies  and 
machinery. 


Chapter  II. 


The  State  of  Guanajuato. — Curious  Topographical  Features. — 
Mountains. — Rivers. — Climate  and  Rainy  Season. — Spring- 
Time  in  Mexico. — The  Flood  of  July,  1905. — Flowers. — 
Fruits. — Mining  and  Agriculture. — Some  Experiences. — Ward 
and  His  Opinions. — The  Industries  of  Guanajuato. — Remark- 
able Annual  Output. — How  the  State  is  Divided. — Towns  and 
Populations. — Railway   Locomotion. — Posts,   Telegraphs,   &c. 

NATURE  has  been  bountiful  in  her  deahngs 
with  Guanajuato  and,  in  comparison  with  some 
parts  of  the  RepubHc  of  Mexico,  it  is  assuredly 
one  of  the  most  favored  in  position  of  climate  and 
mineral  richness.  Its  immense  natural  deposits  of  gold 
and  silver  are  now  world-famed,  and,  indeed,  have  been 
so  for  many  hundreds  of  years.  Its  fertile  lands,  popu- 
lous cities,  thriving  population  and  well-equipped  rail- 
roads make  the  State  of  Guanajuato  one  of  the 
choicest  of  the  27  States  forming  the  United  States  of 
Mexico. 

As  neighbors,  Guanajuato  has  the  flourishing  State 
of  San  Luis  Potosi  on  the  North,  and  Michoacan,  with 
the  celebrated  Dos  Estrellas  and  Esperanza  mines,  on 
the  South ;  beautiful  Jalisco  on  the  West  and  the  quaint 
Queretaro  on  the  East, — a  constellation  of  natural  scenic 
attractiveness  hard  to  beat. 

The  traveller  viewing  this  portion  of  the  country  for 
the  first  time,  cannot  but  be  struck  with  its  curious  topo- 
graphical aspect,  unlike  in  many  respects  that  of  any 
other  part  of  Mexico.  The  situation  of  the  land  is  on 
the  Cordillera  of  the  Anahuac.  The  Northwest  and  Cen- 

Page  33 


34  Meanco's  Treasure-House 


tral  sections  are  traversed  by  mountainous  ranges,  while 
to  the  west  and  south  extend  the  wonderfully  rich  valleys 
on  San  Felipe,  San  Judas  and  Santiago,  as  well  as  the 
beautiful  fertile  plain  of  the  El  Bajio.  Here  may  be 
seen  the  heights  of  the  Sierra  Gorda  to  the  Northeast, 
and  those  of  the  Sierra  de  Guanajuato  in  the  centre, — 
the  Cordonices,  San  Antonio  and  Santa  Rosa  ranges  all 
forming  a  junction  at  this  point.  Into  the  exquisite  tur- 
quoise heavens  rises  the  summit  of  the  "Gigante"  (the 
Giant) ,  some  2,346  meters  high,  and  looking  quite  con- 
spicuous in  its  solitary  grandeur.  It  is,  however,  not 
the  highest  peak  in  the  Guanajuato  mountains,  for  the 
])eautiful  Llanitos  is  some  2,815  meters  high.  These 
mountains  are  soothing  to  the  eye  rather  than  magnifi- 
cent, and  serve  to  fill  in  the  frame  work  of  the  picture, 
bestowing  upon  it  that  completeness  which  Nature  alone 
can  supply.  There  are  several  smaller  ranges  extending 
in  apparently  endless  tiers  away  to  the  horizon,  pre- 
senting a  soft,  velvet}^  appearance  in  the  sun-light,  such 
as  an  artist  would  give  his  soul  to  be  able  to  depict  upon 
canvas. 

What  makes  the  Guanajuato  State  and  District  par- 
ticularly valuable  both  from  an  agricultural  and  a 
mining  point  of  view,  is  the  abundance  of  water  which 
Nature  has  lavishly  provided,  yet  with  a  careful  and  dis- 
criminating hand.  Of  the  several  rivers  which  course 
tliroiigh  this  portion  of  the  country  and  water  the  state 
almost  from  end  to  end,  are  the  I^erma,  the  Laja  and 
the  Turbio.  The  two  latter  are,  as  a  matter  of  fact, 
tributaries  to  the  first  named,  but  of  sufficient  impor- 
tance in  themselves  to  warrant  a  separate  and  distinct 
nomination. 


Rivers  and  Climate  35 


The  Lerma  rises  in  the  State  of  Mexico,  crosses  the 
State  of  Guanajuato  for  a  distance  of  about  147  kilo- 
meters, and  then  loses  itself  in  the  Pacific  Ocean  near 
San  Bias,  in  the  Territory  of  Tepic.  Its  affluent,  the 
Laja,  commences  its  career  in  the  mountains  of  the 
Sierra  de  Guanajuato,  and,  after  receiving  the  tributes 
of  other  streams  and  running  a  course  of  a  126  kilo- 
meters, throws  itself  into  the  receptive  arms  of  its  mother 
Lerma. 

The  Turbio  is  sometimes  known  under  the  name  of 
Gomez,  and,  rising  away  in  the  mountains,  meanders 
through  some  113  kilometers  of  country,  eventually 
reaching  the  Lerma  and  there  emptying  itself. 

Besides  these  three  rivers,  the  State  of  Guanajuato 
possesses  the  Irapuato,  a  small  but  useful  stream,  and 
the  Yuririapundaro,  or  "lake  of  blood,"  about  97  square 
kilometers  in  extent,  and  dotted  with  several  little 
islands.  A  large  natural  well,  believed  by  some  to  be 
the  crater  of  an  extinct  or  at  least  a  quiescent  volcano 
is  more  interesting  than  valuable.  It  is  called  the  Albe- 
cas,  but  its  precise  depth  has  never  been  successfully 
gauged. 

Next  to  its  splendid  water  supply,  Guanajuato  may 
be  congratulated  upon  its  superb  climate.  Assuredly, 
but  few  climates  exist  which  are  more  delightful.  Unless 
one  climbs  up  into  the  mountains  during  the  winter  and 
rainy  season,  when  it  is  apt  to  be  cold  and  damp,  the 
climate  is  perfectly  charming,  being  seldom  too  hot  and 
as  seldom  too  cold,  although  this  year  (1906)  the  in- 
habitants may  have  had  some  reason  to  complain  of  the 
sharp  frost  which  visited  them  and  did  material  damage 


:i{]  Mavico's  Treasure-House 

to  their  growing  crops  and  flower-gardens,  as  well  as 
causing  them  personally  to  regret  the  insufficiency  of 
their  attire.  This,  however,  is  very  exceptional,  the 
mean  temperature  being  about  21  degrees  C.  (say  70 
degrees  Fahrenheit) ,  and  the  highest  28  degrees  C.  (say 
82.40  degrees  Fahrenheit)  during  the  hot  months  of 
the  year. 

When  it  rains  in  Guanajuato — it  rains!  There  is  no 
doubt  about  that,  nor  is  it  all  necessary  or  usual  to  in- 
(juire  "whether  it  is  raining?"  The  water  comes  down  in 
buckets;  but,  severe  as  it  is  while  it  lasts,  the  sky  soon 
clears,  and  the  glorious  sun  again  comes  forth  to  warm 
the  grateful  earth.  Although  it  has  been  known  to  rain 
for  as  long  as  from  two  or  three  days  without  cessation, 
the  duration  of  the  showers  usually  fails  to  exceed  two 
or  three  hours  at  a  time.  The  rains  commence  about  the 
middle  of  July,  and  continue  till  the  beginning  of  Octo- 
ber. The  ^vind  comes  from  the  Northeast,  changing  to 
Southeast  as  the  rainy  season  approaches. 

Guanajuato  has  had  its  good  times  and  its  bad,  its  ups 
and  its  do^vns,  its  fortunes  and  its  misfortunes.  It  has 
l)orne  the  one  as  stoically  as  the  other,  and  although 
once  visited  with  a  misfortune  which  would  have  caused 
any  ordinary  town  of  its  kind  to  bend  and  break  under 
the  affliction,  Guanajuato  shook  itself  bravely  and  at 
once  commenced  to  restore  its  shattered  condition. 

At  times  of  Revolution  the  town  had  suffered  badly. 
In  the  years  when  the  Revolutionary  troops  vied  with 
tliose  of  the  Government  side  in  purposeless  destruc- 
tion, and  again  when  Hidalgo  made  a  brave  but  fruit- 
less attemi)t  to  free  his  country  and  found  Guanajuato 
among  the  first  to  welcome  him  and  his  cause,  Guana- 


(ilANA.MA  Kt  :      A      1*1. (IN     Si  ANDINC     .VV     IIII,     1  )<)()!{     Ol" 

Ills     lIolM".. 
I'l.it.-  :..\  lS<r  IM-r  J  I. 


The  Inundation  of  July,  1906  37 

juato  suffered.  But  by  far  the  greatest  blow  endured 
was  that  which  fell  on  the  1st  July,  1905,  ever  to  be  re- 
membered among  the  people  as  un  jour  de  malheur. 

The  sum  total  of  this  misfortune  was  a  loss  of  200 
human  lives,  the  wrecking  of  400  houses,  the  irrepar- 
able loss  of  valuable  property  such  as  the  fine  hbraries 
of  the  Governor,  of  many  private  individuals  and  of 
State  archives,  and  a  financial  damage  to  the  amount  of 
$3,000,000,  say,  £300,000.  It  must  stand  as  an  ever- 
lasting tribute  to  the  pluck,  energy  and  patriotism  of 
the  people  that  in  the  short  space  of  48  hours  after  the 
accident  had  occurred,  money,  food  and  clothing  poured 
into  the  stricken  town,  and  not  a  soul  seeking  help  was 
denied.  The  magnificent  response  of  Guanajuato's  own 
citizens  stood  out  boldly  from  among  a  list  of  liberal 
donators,  and  the  same  spirt  of  loyalty  and  generosity 
has  ever  been  displayed  by  the  Guanajuato  people  when- 
ever they  have  been  called  upon. 

The  situation  of  Guanajuato  is  unfortunate  in  some 
respects,  but  dehghtfully  picturesque  as  I  have  said, 
and  as  my  panoramic  photographs  will  show.  In  a 
mountainous  region  like  this,  the  storm  clouds  naturally 
find  considerable  attraction  and  the  faU  of  rain  is  ex- 
tremely heavy  while  it  lasts.  It  was  a  cloudburst  just 
over  the  town  of  Guanajuato  that  caused  the  misfor- 
tune primarily.  At  the  very  highest  portion  of  the  town 
is  the  fine  reservoir  and  dam  known  as  La  Olla,  and  at 
first  the  inhabitants  believed  that  it  was  this  which  had 
given  way  and  was  emptying  the  city's  water  supply 
recklessly  through  the  streets.  But  although  the  dam 
and  its  masonry  walls  did  not  escape  damage,  they  held 
together.     The  deluge  proceeded  from  the  mountains 


;38  Meooico's  Treasure-House 

themselves,  and  rusliing  down  the  steep  street  of  the 
town  simply  washed  everything  before  it — substantial 
l)uildings.   trees,   walls   and   the   luckless   people.      Al- 
though the  great  calamity  occurred  at  an  hour  in  the 
afternoon,  it  had  been  raining  heavily  for  some  days 
jirevious.      Other    inundations    had    been    known,    but 
none    like    this.      The    town    was    more    than    usually 
full  of  people,  many  having  come  in  from  the  country 
round  about  to  witness  the  ceremonies  held  in  connec- 
tion with  the  emptying  of  the  La  OUa  reservoir  for 
cleansing  purposes.    The  Presa  de  la  OUa  was  gay  with 
booths  and  brightly  attired  peons.    Then  down  came  the 
irresistible  rush  of  waters,  in  which  hundreds  of  people 
^ve^c  swept  away  like  whisps  of  straM-,  some  to  be  saved, 
others  to  be  carried,  drowned  or  battered  to  death,  into 
the  Guanajuato  River,  or  to  lie  jammed  under  fallen 
houses  and  crumbled  walls.     Some  of  the  bodies  were 
recovered  as  far  away  as  Marfil,  four  miles  from  Gua- 
najuato, where  the  Central  Railway's  line,  connecting 
with  Silao  and  the  main  system,  was  almost  washed 
away.    Although  much  of  the  damage  has  since  been  re- 
paired, the  eleven  months  are  not  sufficiently  long  to 
restore  what  the  flood  of  a  single  hour  laid  to  waste. 
In  an  almost  incredibly  short  space  of  time  the  waters 
had    come    down    on    the    devoted    town,    reduced    it 
to  practical   ruin  and  then  disappeared.     To-day  the 
cnmibling  walls  and  huge  gaps  between  the  houses,  the 
broken-up  ai)])earance  of  some  of  the  surrounding  walls 
and  the  dam])  condition  of  fully  one-half  of  the  houses 
in  the  town  itself,  testify  to  the  trial  which  the  inhabi- 
tants had  to  go  through,  a  trial  borne  with  the  most  ex- 
er7iy)lary    ])atience   and    resignation.      Fortunately   the 


Scenic  Attractions  39 


splendid  public  buildings  like  the  "Teatro  Juarez,"  the 
Legislative  Chambers  and  the  Governor's  Palace,  did 
not  suffer  heavily,  the  first  named  escaping  almost  en- 
tirely owing  to  the  elevated  position  which  it  occupies. 

That  any  recurrence  of  the  disaster  referred  to,  in  con- 
nection with  the  Guanajuato  flood  of  July,  1905,  can 
take  place,  is  unlikely  in  view  of  the  determination  ar- 
rived at  to  construct  a  tunnel  running  through  the  high 
ground  about  the  city,  which  will  carry  off  all  the  sur- 
plus water  which  may  accumulate  from  either  a  cloud- 
burst or  protracted  rains  in  the  immediate  neighbor- 
hood. The  State  Engineer's  plans  have  been  passed, 
and  the  contract  for  constructing  the  tunnel  has  been 
awarded.  The  tunnel  will  be  1,300  meters  long,  by  71/2 
meters  in  diameter.  Most  of  the  work  will  be  through 
solid  rock,  and  it  will  occupy  at  least  12  months  to  com- 
plete it.  The  contract  is  in  the  hands  of  the  Mexican 
Construction  and  Engineering  Co.,  of  Mexico  City, 
who  have  already  made  a  commencement. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  find  in  the  whole  of  Mexico  a 
prettier  stretch  of  country  than  that  surrounding  the 
the  City  of  Guanajuato,  especially  during  the  Spring 
months  of  March  and  April.  Then  the  whole  aspect 
of  the  land,  as  in  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain, 
undergoes  a  complete  change  of  colour ;  the  dull  browns 
of  Winter  giving  place  to  the  most  exquisite  tints  of 
green,  ranging  in  hue  from  the  palest  lettuce  to  the 
darkest  sage,  and  with  the  delicate  mauves,  dark  purples 
and  sienna  browns  of  the  mountain  ranges,  combined 
with  the  opalescence  of  the  sky  (which  does  not  change 
from  day  to  day  in  its  purity  and  denseness),  all  make 
up  a  color-scheme  which  no  eye  could  fail  to  admire. 


40  Mexico's  Treasure- House 

Spring-time  in  Mexico  is  the  loveliest  period  of  the 
year,  and  seldom  demonstrates  that  fickleness  that  char- 
acterizes an  English  Spring,  or  brings  disaster  to  the 
farmer  and  despair  to  the  sportsman.  It  is  very  rarely 
that  the  seasons  in  Mexico  are  disappointing  in  their  re- 
sults, or  uncertain  in  their  times  of  arrival. 

The  flowers  in  Mexico  are  unrivalled  in  any  part  of 
the  world,  and  I  speak  from  a  wide  exiJerience,  having 
travelled  around  the  globe  some  four  times,  and  having 
visited  every  part  of  it.  The  rich  coloring  and  the  in- 
toxicating perfume  of  the  Mexican  flora  form  a  con- 
tinual delight  to  those  who  have  never  seen  or  inhaled 
them  before.  Here,  one  is  attracted  by  the  enticing 
but  somewhat  too  powerful  odor  of  the  flowering 
orange-tree,  as  much  as  by  the  brilliant  green  of  its  sur- 
rounding foliage.  Of  roses  there  are  countless  varie- 
ties, as  of  lilies;  while  camelias,  heliotrope,  bourganvil- 
lers,  clematis,  iris,  hydrangea  and  innumerable  other 
kinds  of  flowers  which  delight  the  ej'e  and  regale  the 
nostrils,  may  be  found  in  almost  wild  profusion. 

The  number  and  character  of  the  trees  are,  perhaps, 
httle  less  remarkable.  Near  the  City  of  Guanajuato 
one  may  find  hundreds  of  beautiful  well-grown  oaks, 
blue-gum,  and  other  similar  trees.  One  particularly 
fine  forest  of  well-developed  oaks  is  located  upon  a 
ranch  belonging  to  the  Guanajuato  Development  Com- 
pany, and  of  which  I  give  somewhat  fuller  details  in 
another  part  of  this  volume.  In  the  State  of  Guana- 
juato there  may  be  found  some  twenty-three  different 
species  of  timber,  valuable  alike  for  building  purposes, 
timbering  of  mines,  and  fuel.  Besides  the  oaks  to 
which  1  have  referred,  pine,  fir,  cedar,  mahogany,  rose- 


Mining  and  Agriculture  41 

wood,  iron-wood  and  a  dozen  different  kinds  of  other 
woods  grow. 

Fruits  of  numerous  kinds  abound  in  the  State,  the 
climate  lending  itself  peculiarly  to  its  successful  cul- 
tivation. There  are  some  forty  or  fifty  different  kinds 
of  fruits  grown  here,  while,  in  regard  to  other  useful 
plants,  shrubs  and  trees,  I  may  mention  some  thirty- 
two  textile  and  eleven  tanning  plants;  fifteen  oleagi- 
nous plants;  sixteen  dye-woods;  about  eighty  medicinal 
plants;  twelve  forage  plants;  eighteen  aromatic  plants; 
fifteen  gums  and  resins,  etc.,  etc. 

Naturally  in  a  country  so  well  served  with  water  and 
having  so  fine  and  productive  a  soil,  agriculture  finds  an 
encouraging  field  for  development.  I  regard  this  factor 
as  one  of  singular  value  to  the  mining  interests,  since  I 
have  always  held  the  opinion  that  where  agriculture  and 
mining  can  march  hand-in-hand  it  is  of  vast  importance 
to  allow  them  to  do  so,  and  to  encourage  their  associa- 
tion in  every  legitimate  manner.  The  one  helps  the 
other,  and  however  much  fanatics  may  assert  that  "the 
lust  for  gold"  destroys  all  ambition  to  succeed  in  the 
more  poorly  paid  pursuit  of  simple  husbandry,  I  am 
prepared  to  prove,  if  necessary,  that  where,  as  in  some 
parts  of  South  Africa  and  New  Zealand,  mining  has 
proceeded  side-by-side  with  agriculture,  the  benefits 
arising  for  all  classes  of  the  community  have  been  un- 
mistakable. 

It  is  stated  by  no  less  an  authority  than  Mr.  H.  G. 
Ward,  at  one  time  the  British  charge  d'affaires  in  Mex- 
ico, and  the  author  of  one  of  the  most  fascinating  and  in- 
formative works  upon  that  country,  that,  without 
mining  as  an  assistance,  agriculture  would  be  confined 


42  Mexico's  Treasure-House 


to  such  a  supply  of  the  necessaries  of  life  as  each  indi- 
vidual would  have  it  in  his  heart  to  raise;  districts, 
formerly  amonf]^  the  richest  in  the  known  world, 
would  he  thrown  forever  out  of  cultivation;  the  great 
niinin*^  towns  would  become,  without  agriculture  as  an 
aid,  what  they  were  during  the  worst  years  of  the 
Revolution;  and  the  country  would  be  so  far  thrown 
back  in  the  career  of  civilization  that  the  majority  of  its 
inhabitants  would  be  compelled  to  lead  a  Nomadic  life, 
and  seek  a  precarious  subsistence  among  their  flocks 
and  herds,  like  the  Gaucho  of  the  Pampas. 

So  sensibly  does  Mr.  Ward  \ATite  of  the  close  associa- 
tion between  agriculture  and  mining  that  I  feel  im- 
])e]\td  to  (juote  from  such  an  authority  the  few  lines 
which  run  as  follows:  "I  desire  no  better  proof  than 
that  existing  between  the  degraded  situation  of  the 
husbandman  or  small  landed-proprietor  of  New  Spain 
(Mexico)  in  any  district  without  an  outlet,  and  that  of 
a  proprietor,  however  small,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  mines. 
The  one  is  without  wants,  and  almost  without  an  idea 
of  civilized  life;  clothed  in  a  leather  dress,  or  in  the 
coarsest  kind  of  home-made  woollen  manufacture,  liv- 
ing in  primitive  simplicity,  perhaps,  but  in  primitive 
ignorance  and  brutality,  too;  sunk  in  sloth,  and  incapa- 
ble of  exertion,  unless  stimulated  by  some  momentary 
excitement:  while  the  other  acquires  wants  daily,  with 
the  means  of  gratifying  them;  and  grows  industrious 
in  proportion  as  the  advantages  which  he  derives  from 
the  fruits  of  his  labor  increase;  his  mind  opens  to  the 
advantages  of  European  arts;  he  seeks  for  his  off- 
spring, at  least,  that  education  which  had  been  denied  to 
hiuiself ;     and  becomes  gradually,  with  a  taste  for  the 


Ward  Upon  Mexico  43 

delights  of  civilization,  a  more  important  member,  him- 
self, of  the  civilized  world.  Who  can  see  this,  as  I  have 
seen  it,  without  feeling,  as  I  have  felt,  the  importance, 
not  only  to  Mexico,  but  to  Europe  of  a  branch  of  in- 
dustry capable  of  producing  such  beneficial  effects? 
And  alone  capable  of  producing  them;  for  Mexico 
without  her  mines,  notwithstanding  the  fertility  of  her 
soil,  and  the  vast  amount  of  her  former  agricultural 
produce,  can  never  rise  to  any  importance  in  the  scale  of 
Nations." 

This  was  written  in  1827,  eighty  years  ago;  but  al- 
though at  that  time  the  home-manufactures  of  Mexico 
and  her  consequent  prosperity  had  not  attained  any- 
thing like  the  dimensions  which  they  have  reached  to- 
day, Mr.  Ward's  summing-up  of  the  situation  was  ex- 
ceedingly accurate,  and  what  he  wrote  is  as  true  now  as 
it  was  then. 

From  my  own  experience  I  should  say  that  not  only  is 
labor  attracted  to  a  locality  where  work  both  above- 
ground  and  below-ground  is  plentiful  and  well-paid, 
but  as  often  as  not  the  miners  themselves  are  induced 
to  remain  in  a  district  by  the  fact  that  their  wives  and 
children,  where  the  latter  are  not  also  employed  on  the 
mines,  as  is  the  case  in  the  Guanajuato  district  and  in 
other  parts  of  Mexico,  are  perhaps  enabled  to  carry  on  a 
little  agriculture  as  an  additional  and  welcome  source 
of  income,  while  the  thriving  mining  community  pro- 
vides the  best  kind  of  market  for  the  produce  raised. 

So  far  as  one  can  trace  the  history  of  latter-da)'^ 
mining  in  Mexico — that  is  to  say,  subsequent  to  the 
declaration  of  Independence— there  is  no  question  that 
in  everj'-  place  where  mining  was  conducted  a  demand 


44  Meccico's  Treasure-House 


was  created  for  everj-  kind  of  agricultural  produce, 
which  rose  as  the  importance  of  the  mines  increased,  and 
called  gradually  into  existence  a  cultivation  of  which 
no  trace  was  to  be  found  before.  Such  was  the  progress 
of  civilization  and  of  agricultural  industry  throughout 
Mexico. 

Ward,  to  whom  I  have  previously  referred,  declares 
that  with  the  exception  of  the  capital,  which,  as  the  seat 
of  Government,  derived  its  importance  from  other 
sources,  and  the  towns  of  Puebla,  Guadalajara,  Morelia 
and  Oaxaca,  which  were  selected  as  the  seats  of  the  great 
episcopal  establislmients  of  the  country,  there  was 
hardly  a  single  town  in  Mexico  that  did  not  derive  its 
origin  directly  or  indirectly  from  the  mines.  From  the 
enormous  quantities  of  mules  and  horses  employed  in 
mining  operations  (14,000  were  in  daily  use  in  Guana- 
juato alone)  a  rise  in  the  price  of  maize  occasioned  an 
immediate  reduction  in  all  of  the  mining  establishments. 

I  know  that  mining  in  the  opinions  of  some  indi- 
viduals, no  doubt  perfectly  conscientious  and  well- 
meaning,  is  "iniquitous";  and  Lord  Burleigh,  the  wise 
old  Chancellor  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  strongly  counselled 
men  to  depart  from  that  "ungodly  way  of  becoming 
rich  by  digging  in  the  earth"  and  to  betake  themselves 
to  cultivating  it  instead.  But  as  I  have  attempted  to 
prove,  it  is  quite  possible  to  pursue  the  occupations  of 
mining  and  agriculture  in  the  same  district  and  at  the 
same  time,  provided  Nature  has,  as  in  the  case  of  many 
of  the  mining  districts  in  Mexico,  generously  supplied 
the  means.  In  Guanajuato  many  promising  agricul- 
tural tracts  of  countrj'  exist,  and  with  the  increase  in  the 
mining  activity  now  to  be  observed  on  all  sides,  the  fresh 


o 


_:  X 


The  Trade  of  Guanajuato  45 

arrivals  which  this  activity  is  attracting  day  by  day,  and 
the  greatly  augmented  wealth  of  the  whole  population, 
agriculture  can,  and  no  doubt  will,  be  vigorously  prose- 
cuted, being  bound  to  meet  with  practical  encourage- 
ment from  all  the  big  mining  corporations  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. 

It  must  not,  however,  be  assumed  that  mining  is  the 
summum  honum  of  the  whole  country,  or  that  it  is  the 
only  industry  which  is  pursued  by  the  inhabitants.  The 
fame  of  the  Guanajuato  mines,  which  has  succeeded  in 
reaching  to  the  extremities  of  the  earth,  one  might  sup- 
pose had  to  some  extent  over-shadowed  the  several  im- 
portant trades  of  which  the  State  can  boast.  It  would 
be  no  exaggeration  to  say  that  Guanajuato  is  the  most 
prosperous  mercantile  centre  of  the  Republic.  The  two 
big  Mexican  railways  (the  National  and  the  Central) 
derive  much  of  their  valuable  traffic  from  this  portion  of 
the  country.  The  total  value  of  the  trade  emanating  from 
the  State  of  Guanajuato  may  reasonably  be  put  at  some 
$67,000,000  U.  S.  Currency  (or,  say  £13,400,000)  per 
annum,  which,  for  a  population  of  a  little  over  one  mil- 
lion, is  an  excellent  showing.  The  chief  sources  from 
which  all  this  commercial  industry  is  derived  comprise, 
first  and  foremost,  the  minerals  which  go  to  Mexico, 
United  States  of  America  and  Europe,  and  which  rep- 
resent at  least  $20,000,000  U.  S.  Cy.  (£4,000,000)  ; 
then  agricultural  and  other  products  $10,000,000 
(£2,000,000),  most  of  which  find  their  way  to  the  home 
states;  thirdly,  exports  of  industrial  products  $2,000,- 
000  U.  S.  Cy.  (£400,000)  ;  again,  imports  from  Mex- 
ico City,  United  States  and  Europe  to  the  extent  of 
$12,000,000  U.  S.  Cy.;  about  $3,000,000    (£600,000) 


46  Mexico's  Treasure-House 


from  other  Mexican  States,  and  the  balance  from  purely 
local  trade. 

The  principal  exports,  after  minerals  and  agricultu- 
ral produce,  are  live  stock,  cotton  goods,  etc. ;  while  the 
imports  comprise,  from  Mexico  City,  Europe  and  the 
United  States,  such  commodities  as  groceries,  ready- 
made  clothing,  textiles,  hardware,  drugs,  arms  and  am- 
munition, hats,  canned  goods,  agricultural  and  mining 
machinery  and  tools,  etc.,  etc.  There  is  a  considerable 
proportion  of  inter-state  commerce,  comprising  such 
articles  as  the  inevitable  pulque,  mezcal,  tequila,  fruits, 
coffee,  etc.,  etc. 

In  the  State  of  Guanajuato  there  are  to  be  found  nu- 
merous important  and  prosperous  industrial  establish- 
ments. No  fewer  than  350  woollen  mills  exist,  their  an- 
nual output  representing  90,000  pieces  of  cloth,  and 
4.5. 000  yards  of  carpet  and  other  fabrics  of  this  kind,  all 
of  which  sell  very  readily.  There  are  853  cotton  mills, 
producing  a  respectable  average  of  200,500  pieces  of 
cotton  or  "manta";  46,000  pieces  of  comboyas;  550,000 
rebozos;  and  100,000  kilograms  of  twine.  These  busy 
factories  themselves  use  over  815,000  kilograms  of  wool 
and  1,000,000  kilograms  of  cotton,  in  the  raw  state, 
yearly.  There  are  in  addition  72  flour  mills  (using  both 
steam  and  hydraulic  motive-power),  which  produce 
15,000,000  kilograms  of  flour  per  annum,  as  well  as  Un- 
seed mills,  harness  and  saddlery  factories,  potteries, 
])owder-works,  distilleries,  tanneries,  foundries,  etc. 

From  all  this  it  will  be  readily  seen  that,  even  were 
the  mining  industry  to  be  completely  eliminated  from 
consideration,  the  State  of  Guanajuato  would  still  re- 
main one  of  the  most  prominent  and  important  sections 


Divisions  and  Towns  47 


of  the  Republic,  a  state  of  affairs  which  Mr.  Ward  and 
writers  of  his  epoch  could  never  have  contemplated; 
but,  taken  in  conjunction  with  the  vastly  promising  in- 
dustry of  mining  which  to-day  looms  up  more  con- 
spicuously than  ever,  the  prosperity  of  Guanajuato  may 
be  said  to  be  almost  unequalled  in  the  whole  Republic 
of  Mexico. 

The  State  is  split  up  into  Divisions  or  Departments, 
of  which  there  are  five.  These,  again,  are  sub-divided 
into  32  Partidos,  the  Departments  being: 

Allende  (with  4  partidos  and  47,000  inhabitants)  ; 

Celaya  (with  11  partidos  and  46,500  inhabitants)  ; 

Sierra  Gorda  (with  3  partidos  and  33,500  inhabi- 
tants) ; 

Leon  (with  4  partidos  and  194,000  inhabitants) ; 

The  principal  towns  in  the  State  may  be  summarized 
and  located  as  follows: 

Cities  and  Towns.  Department. 

Allende  \^^^  Miguel  Allende, 

• \Dolores  Hidalgo. 

r  Celaya, 

^  1  Acamabaro, 

Celava .■{  . 

I  Apaseo, 

[Salvatierra. 

Guanajuato, 
Cuitzeo  de  Abasolo, 
Irapuato, 

Guanajuato \  La  Paz, 

Salamanca, 

Silao, 

Valle  de  Santiago. 


48  Mexico's  Treasure-House 


Sierra  Gorda 


JLeon  de  Los  Aldamas, 
-^^^" jSan  Francisco  del  Rincon. 

San  T^uis  de  la  Paz. 

San  Jose  de  Iturbide, 

Xichu, 

Santa  Catarina, 

Victoria. 

There  is  no  State  in  the  Republic  of  Mexico  which 
possesses  a  better  system  of  railway  communication  than 
that  of  Guanajuato.  Wide  as  it  is,  however,  the  thriv- 
ing condition  of  the  country  and  its  astounding  rate  of 
progress  have  already  rendered  an  augmentation  neces- 
sary ;  and,  probably,  before  the  present  year  is  comple- 
ted a  further  improvement  will  have  been  effected  by 
bringing  the  Central  line  of  railway  right  into  Guana- 
juato City  itself.  At  present,  the  Central  main  line  stops 
at  Silao,  about  11  miles  from  the  outskirts  of  Guanajua- 
to, and  whence,  on  a  branch  line,  both  passengers  and 
goods  are  conveyed  to  Marfil,  where  a  mule  tram  line 
joins  on  and  brings  everybody  and  everything  into  the 
city.  Naturally  much  delay  is  occasioned  by  so  slow 
a  process  of  locomotion,  and  the  advent  of  the  new  rail- 
way communication,  with  a  Central  depot  in  the  heart  of 
the  l)usy  city  itself,  will  mean  an  immense  benefit  for 
the  commercial  and  mining  community  at  large. 

The  Mexican  Central  Railway  crosses  the  State  of 
Guanajuato  in  three  different  directions  (1)  from  East 
to  Northwest,  on  the  line  from  Mexico  City  to  Ciudad 
Juarez,  or  Pasco  del  Norte  (154  kilometers)  ;  (2)  from 
the  centre  to  the  Southwest,  on  the  branch  line  Irapuato 
to  Guadalajara,  (84  kilometers)  ;  (3)  from  the  centre  to 
the  Northwest,  on  the  branch  line  from  Silao  to  Guana- 
juato (23  kilometers). 


The  Future  Production  of  Gold  49 

The  Mexican  National  Lines  run  from  Southeast  to 
North  on  the  Hne  from  Mexico  City  to  Nuevo  Laredo,  a 
distance  of  271  kilometers,  while  the  Salamanca  and 
Valle  de  Santiago  R.  R.  has  an  extension  of  18  to  20 
kilometers  in  theMunicipality  of  Salamanca.  There  are 
also  some  14  kilometers  of  street  railway,  while  a  num- 
ber of  moderately  good  wagon  roads  traverse  the  State 
in  many  directions.  The  telephone  and  telegraph 
systems  are,  all  things  considered,  in  good  and  efficient 
operation,  while  a  particularly  well-conducted  postal 
service  is  in  force. 

With  regard  to  the  future  production  of  gold  in 
Mexico,  and  in  which  the  mines  of  Guanajuato  have  so 
much  concern,  the  following  observations  of  Minister  J. 
Y.  Limantour,  in  his  report  on  Mexico's  financial  posi- 
tion for  the  year  1904-5,  are  worthy  of  reproduction: — 

"Considerable  importance  attaches  to  the  increase  in 
the  gold  production,  which  last  year  alone  showed  a  gain 
of  $3,000,000  gold,  equivalent  in  our  currency  to  $6,000," 
000.  The  recent  heavy  investments  of  capital  in  gold 
mines  augur  a  still  more  considerable  development  of 
this  important  source  of  wealth,  and  the  substantial 
diminution  of  fiscal  burdens  will  curtail  the  frauds  that 
have  been  perpetrated  on  a  large  scale  in  the  exporta- 
tion of  the  yellow  metal  without  payment  of  duties.  For 
these  reasons  much  is  still  to  be  expected  from  the  gold 
production." 

It  should  be  added  that  on  a  subsequent  page  of  the 
same  Report  the  Minister  estimates  the  probable  produc- 
tion of  gold  in  1904-5,  "in  the  old  gold  coins,  of  $14,- 
429,223,"  and  further  remarks  that,  "calculating  the 
value  of  the  old  gold  peso  at  $2.05  of  our  present  cur- 


50  Meocico's  Treasure-House 


rency,  which  approximately  was  its  average  value  dur- 
ing last  fiscal  year,  the  above  sum  represents  in  pesos  of 
our  present  monetary  system  $29,579,908.07." 

The  second  diagram  which  1  give,  and  which  is  bor- 
rowed from  the  same  source,  as  will  be  easily  recognized, 
comprises  seven  main  perpendicular  divisions,  each  in- 
chiding  four  years  total  gold  production,  commencing 
with  the  period  1877-81  and  ending  with  the  period  of 
four  years  1902-5.  At  the  margin  on  either  side  of  the 
diagram  a  scale  of  miUion  dollars  is  seen,  rising  from 
zero  by  equal  divisions  of  five  million  dollars  to  a  total 
of  forty-five  millions  at  the  summit,  the  total  output 
for  each  of  four  years  having  been  computed  from  sta- 
tistics. Vertical  black  columns,  corresponding  by  their 
varj^ing  heights  to  the  amount  for  each  period,  appear  in 
each  division,  and  in  juxtaposition  with  the  scale  in  the 
margin. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  total  given  of  the  produc- 
tion of  gold  during  the  four-year  period  1877-81  on  the 
chart,  that,  compared  with  that  recorded  for  the  last 
four  years  (1902-5),  the  production  has  increased  by 
no  less  a  sum  than  $42,383,203  (approximately,  £8,- 
476,640),  or  an  increase  of  118.3  per  cent,  in  twenty- 
eight  years.  It  should  be  added  that  in  all  cases  on  the 
chart  where  dollars  have  been  converted  into  "£"  ster- 
ling, the  basis  has  been  the  standard  gold  peso,  valued  at 
about  four  shillings. 

The  "insets"  on  the  diagram,  deahng  with  the  expor- 
tation as  well  as  with  the  production  of  gold  in  ^Mexico 
for  the  last  five  years  (1901-5),  are  not  in  need,  appar- 
ently, of  explanation. 

Note. — The  fiscal  year  ends  on  June  30  of  each  year. 


'  < 


O    ^ 


y.  -z. 


Chapter  III. 


The  "Patio"  Process  of  Treating  Ores. — Description  of  Methods. — 
Pan  Amalgamation. — Comparisons. — The  Growths  of  Mining 
Camps. — Great  Revival  in  Guanajuato. — New  Stamps  Being 
Erected. — Companies  and  Mines  Interested. — Blaisdell  Process 
Introduced. — Humboldt  and  Guanajuato  Mines. — A  Curious 
Result  of  his  Advocacy. — Silver  as  it  is  Found  in  Mexico  and 
Europe. — ^A  Native  Author  and  Mexican  Silver  Ores. 

IT  is  customary  for  those  who  think  they  know  a 
great  deal  about  mining,  and  with  whom  "a  Httle 
knowledge  is  a  dangerous  thing,"  to  condemn  the 
"patio"  process,  which  has  been  in  vogue  in  Mexico  for 
many  hundreds  of  years,  and  is  still  to  be  found  working 
upon  many  important  and  successful  mines  in  this 
country.  Here  is  one  hacienda,  "The  Purisima,"  in 
Guanajuato  working  the  "patio"  to-day.  Even  the  most 
sceptical  and  critical  must  admit  that  "defective"  and 
"antiquated"  as  they  consider  this  process  of  treatment 
to  be,  it  has  at  least  produced  some  wonderful  results. 
It  is  of  course  attributable  to  the  richness  of  the 
ores  which  have  been  treated,  that  they  should  have 
yielded  such  a  bountiful  return.  Still,  something  has 
to  be  said  for  the  much-despised  "patio"  treatment 
after  all;  and  I  thus  deem  it  desirable  to  describe  it 
in  more  or  less  detail  before  proceeding  to  consider  the 
new  and  more  complete  system  of  treating  the  ores  now 
being  almost  generally  introduced. 

We  first  hear  of  the  "patio"  process  as  far  back  as 
1557.  Who  the  pioneer  was  that  introduced  it,  history 
fails  to  agree;  nor,  indeed,  is  the  name  much  of  an  in- 
dication, since,  if  it  meant  anything  at  all,  it  signified 

Page  51 


52  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

the  place — viz:  the  "patio"  or  open  courtj^ard  of  the 
Mexican  liacienda — where  the  operations  were  carried 
on.  Practically  some  of  the  methods  in  force  350  years 
ago  remain  unchanged  to-day.  As  the  poet  Schiller  tells 
us — "a  deep  meaning  often  lies  in  old  customs";  and 
certainly  there  was  meaning  enough  in  the  old  methods 
of  mining  in  Mexico. 

The  ore,  when  carried  to  the  surface,  was  first  broken 
by  hand,  generally  at  the  mouth  of  the  tunnel  or  shaft, 
both  men,  women  and  little  children  being  employed 
for  the  purpose.  In  this  condition  the  rock  was  con- 
veyed to  the  hacienda,  for,  at  that  time,  every  mine 
was  connected  somehow^  either  by  direct  proprietor- 
ship or  in  partnership,  with  an  hacienda,  and  tliere  the 
ore  was  pulverized  by  means  of  Chilean  mills,  and 
"arrastres"  run  by  mule-power.  The  ore  was  thus 
gradually,  but  somewhat  tediously,  crushed  finer  and 
finer,  and  even  slimed.  From  the  "arrastres"  the  stuff 
was  carried  to  the  "patio,"  and  there,  upon  a  wide 
stone-covered  floor  or  pavement,  it  was  massed  in 
heaps,  averaging  from  20  to  400  tons.  When  a  sufl^- 
ciently  large  quantity  had  been  accumulated,  the  whole 
mass  of  stuff  was  called  a  "torta."  As  is  generally 
known,  the  ore,  as  it  comes  from  the  mine,  contains  a 
certain  quantity  of  moisture,  sometimes  great  and  at 
others  only  slight;  but  it  has  to  be  partially'  eliminated 
before  final  treatment,  and  thus  it  becomes  necessary  to 
expose  the  "torta"  to  the  air  and  heat  of  the  sun  for  the 
purpose  of  being  dried,  but  not  too  much.  In  this  state 
tlie  mass  covers  the  pavement  of  the  "patio"  to  a  depth 
ranging  from  12"  to  18". 

The  operation  next  adopted  is  the  adding  of  salt  to 


Description  of  Methods  53 


the  ore  in  quantities  which  must  be  regulated  by  the 
character  of  the  ore  itself,  and  which  only  experience  can 
successfully  direct.  Now  are  introduced  the  patient, 
plodding  beasts,  either  horses  or  mules,  which,  yoked  to- 
gether, are  driven  around  and  around,  and  through  and 
through  the  mass  of  slimy  stuff.  This  goes  on  for  hours 
at  a  time,  the  mixing  becoming  more  and  more  com- 
plete. The  stuff  is  then  left  for  a  period  to  settle,  when 
sulphate  of  copper  and  iron  are  thrown  in  and  thorough- 
ly mixed  with  it,  the  amount  again  depending  upon  the 
nature  of  the  ores  being  treated  and  regulated  by  the 
ripe  experience  of  the  operator.  Quicksilver  is  also  add- 
ed in  varying  quantities,  and  a  again  a  quotum  of  salt. 
The  stirring  process  proceeds  as  before  for  a  further 
number  of  hours,  as  a  rule  the  intervals  between  the  stir- 
ring being  from  twelve  to  twenty-four  hours.  The  whole 
period  needed  for  treating  a"torta"is  from  10  to  40  days. 
Many  factors  in  determining  the  exact  amount  of  time 
have  to  be  considered, — such  as  the  particular  character 
of  the  ores,  the  season  of  the  year  and  the  amount  of 
sunshine  or  rain.  But  when  the  time  is  considered  suffi- 
cient for  the  process  to  have  been  completed,  the  pulp  is 
washed  away,  the  amalgam  recovered  and  retorted  and 
the  bullion  melted  into  bars  or  ingots. 

This  process,  it  must  be  remembered,  was  used  almost 
entirely  for  silver  recovery.  Apparently,  the  old-time 
miners  troubled  themselves  but  little  about  the  gold  in 
their  ores;  but,  to-day,  it  is  the  yellow  metal  which  is 
proving  the  magnet  of  attraction  to  the  fields  of  Mex- 
ico generally,  and  to  those  of  Guanajuato  in  particular. 
I  doubt  very  much  whether  the  "patio"  process  ever 
could  have  proved  a  great  success  in  treating  gold- 


54  Meivico's  Treasure-House 

bearing  ores,  even  if  it  had  been  tried  systematically, 
ONnng  to  the  presence  of  sulphates.  But  for  silver- 
bearing  ores,  as  I  have  said,  the  process  was  found  satis- 
factory, and  is  still  so  considered  to-day.  In  those  good 
old  days,  when  time  was  not  counted  of  any  importance 
and  an  abundance  of  cheap  labor  was  available,  the  pro- 
cess doubtless  answered  well  enough.  As  much  as  $50,- 
000.00  or  $100,000.00  were  locked-up  in  a  mass  of 
"torta"  for  any  period  ranging  between  two  and  two 
and  one-half  months  at  a  time.  But  here,  again,  the  old- 
time  Mexican  thought — "let  the  World  shde,  let  the 
World  go,  a  fig  for  care,  and  a  fig  for  woe;  if  I  can't 
pay,  why  I  can  owe,  and  death  makes  equal  the  high  and 
low." 

That  is  a  kind  of  indifference  which  is  dear  to  the 
Southern  heart. 

It  is  impossible  to  travel  through  the  country  around 
the  Guanajuato  District,  or  that  of  any  other  mining 
centre  in  INIexico,  without  having  one's  attention  drawn 
to  the  number  of  haciendas,  which  at  one  time  were  no 
doubt  busily  engaged  in  conducting  their  "patio"  pro- 
cess, but  which  to-day  are  in  a  state  of  ruin.  Practically 
every  hacienda  had  a  "patio,"  where  the  owner  treated 
either  his  own  or  his  neighbor's  ores,  probably  both.  One 
can  still  see  the  cracked  old  pavements  of  the  once  thriv- 
ing "patio"  and  the  disused  "arrastre"  beds,  many  of 
which  ^^xTe  run  by  water-power.  As  the  mines  change 
ownership,  and  the  old  order  maketh  way  for  the  new, 
the  "patio"  process  disappears. 

Next  to  the  "patio"  process  followed  the  stamp-mill 
and  pan-amalgamation.  Here,  i)ractically  the  same 
chemicals  were  employed,  while  artificial  heat  was  also 


Pan- Amalgamation  55 


introduced.  The  pan  process  has  also  now  been  con- 
demned as  "antiquated,"  and  as  a  matter  of  fact  it  has 
never  succeeded  in  maintaining  the  high  percentage  of 
saving  that  the  "patio"  process  secured,  the  character  of 
the  ore  and  other  conditions  being  equal.  Half-a-dozen 
different  mining  men  will  supply  half-a-dozen  different 
explanations  of  this;  but  probably  the  real  reason  of 
the  loss  may  be  attributed  to  the  presence  of  particles  of 
iron  in  the  pulp  arising  from  the  attrition  of  the  stamps 
and  pans.  Some  experts  consider  that  the  length  of 
time  to  which  the  ore  is  exposed  to  the  action  of  the 
mercury  and  the  added  advantage  of  the  sun's  regular 
heat,  are  among  the  reasons  telling  most  in  favor  of  the 
"patio"  process.  If  the  saving  of  the  precious  grains  of 
gold  and  silver  is  not  as  large  in  the  pan  process,  it  is, 
on  the  other  hand,  far  more  expeditious,  and  that  is  a 
matter  of  considerable  importance. 

I  believe  that  there  was  until  quite  recently  a  certain 
mill  in  the  Tlalpujahua  District  which  was  working  on 
the  pan  principle;  I  refer  to  the  San  Rafael.  The 
Conception  Mill  was  built  there  to  treat  the  ores  from 
the  mine  of  that  name.  It  had  twenty  stamps  and  a 
full  equipment  of  pans,  settlers  and  concentrators.  An- 
other mill  of  a  similar  kind  was  until  a  short  time  back 
to  be  found  at  the  National  Mine  in  the  same  district. 
In  Guanajuato  the  Consolidated  Company  until  lately 
ran  a  mill  on  the  pan-amalgamation  process,  but  this  has 
now  been  changed  to  a  cyanide  plant  concentrating 
above  the  tank.  Other  pan  mills  have  also  been  con- 
verted, and  the  cyanide  process  of  treatment  substituted. 

No  one  who  has  not  personally  witnessed  the  marvel- 
lous growth  of  mining-camps  can  form  any  accurate 


56  Meonco's  Treasure-House 


idea  of  the  rapidity  with  which  these  come  into  exist- 
ence.   Like  Jonah's  gourd,  they  "come  up  in  a  night," 
and  also  hke  that  eccentric  vegetable  very  often  "dis- 
appear in  a  night,"  the  exact  period  of  their  duration  on 
earth  depending  upon  the  amount  of  precious  metal 
found  therein  and  the  abihty  of  the  human  delvers  to  get 
it  out.     This  is  the  history  of  most  new  mining  camps, 
and  1  have  seen  it  repeated  in  the  early  days  of  Coolgar- 
die  and  Hannan's  Field  in  Western  Australia,  in  Colo- 
rado, in  New  Zealand  and  in  South  Africa.  But  Guana- 
juato is  not  a  new  camp,  having  been  founded  as  far 
back  as  1554,  and  was  famous  as  an  ore-producer  even 
in  those  days.    Nevertheless  Guanajuato  is  to-day  show- 
ing some  indications  of  that  revival  of  interest  in  mining 
which  characterized  the  early  days  of  Western  Australia 
and  South  Africa,  to  say  nothing  of  the  Klondike  and 
West  Africa,  but  without  their  feverishness,  uncertainty 
and  other  discouraging  features.     The  progress  which 
has  again  set  in  in  Guanajuato  after  a  period  of  in- 
activity, or  I  might  say  intermission,  extending  back 
into  the  centuries,  is  as  well-defined  as  it  is  well-founded. 
An  evidence  of  this  may  be  found  in  the  increased  num- 
ber of  stamps  which  have  been  erected,  and  those  which 
are  in  course  of  erection.    A  dozen  years  back,  perhaps, 
there  were  not  more  than  fifty  stamps  working  in  this 
district.    To-day  there  are  several  hundreds,  and,  by  the 
time  this  humble  work  will  find  its  way  into  the  hands  of 
my  readers,  I  expect  that  some  seven  hundred  stamps 
will  be  dropping  day  and  night  in  this  one  district.     I 
append  a  list  of  stamps  which  are  actually  in  operation, 
together  with  those  which,  I  have  learned  upon  high 
autliority,  will  be  working  within  a  few  months'  time: 


y    L. 


r. 


Stainps,  Actual  and  Contemplated 


57 


Stamps  at 
Name  of  Company  Work. 

The  Peregrina  M.  &  M.  Co.  20 

The  Cubo  20 

The  Nayal  10 

The  Central  5 

Gto.  Cons.  M.  &  M.  Co.  60 

Gto.  Redn.  &  Mines  Co.  80 

The  San  Prospero  — 
Gto.  Amalgamated  Gold  Mines      — 

Noria  Alta  — 

Pinguico  — 

Cedro  — 

Refugio  — 

San  Cayetano  30 


Stamps  in 
Course  of 
Erection. 

100 


10 
20 
20 

80 
40 

100 
20 
40 

100 
50 
20 


In  giving  the  above  figures,  I  wish  it  to  be  clearly  un- 
derstood that  the  stamps  set  forth  in  the  second  column 
are  merely  estimated,  and  are  quite  as  likely  to  be  added- 
to  as  deducted-from.  Thus,  while  some  of  the  mines 
may  not  proceed  sufficiently  far  in  their  development 
to  warrant  the  erection  of  so  many  stamps  this  year, 
others,  such  for  instance  as  the  group  belonging  to  the 
Guanajuato  Reduction  &  Mines  Co.  may  exceed  the 
number  I  have  set  down,  for  I  am  authoritatively  in- 
formed that,  if  certain  arrangements  go  through,  the 
number  of  stamps  erected  by  this  company  will  be 
1,000.  In  any  case  it  is  obvious  that  the  nimiber  of  new 
stamps  in  the  Guanajuato  District  will  soon  be  very  con- 
siderable, while,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  detailed  descrip- 
tions of  the  various  mines  in  this  district,  several  costly 
installations  such  as  that  of  the  Blaisdell  process  and 


58  Mexico's  Treasure-House 


the  MacArthur-Forrest  process  of  cyaniding,  will  have 
been  introduced  before  the  close  of  the  present  year, 
^vhere  they  as  yet  have  been  absent. 

It  is  a  small  Monder  that  minino"  prospectuses,  emana- 
ting from  Guanajuato,  so  assiduously  quote  the  opinions 
of  the  late  respected  Professor  Earon  von  Humboldt, 
since,  owing  to  the  enthusiastic  manner  in  which  he  de- 
scribed this  district,  declaring  it,  at  the  close  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  to  "have  yielded  one-fifth  of  the 
total  amount  of  silver  then  current  in  the  world,"  some- 
thing like  a  boom  in  INIexican  mining  enterprises  set  in 
about  1825.  We  have  no  Professor  von  Humboldt  to- 
day to  sing  the  praises  of  Guanajuato,  but  we  have 
something  which  is  a  great  deal  better — and  that  is  a 
record  of  actual  production  and  an  ocular  proof  of  the 
richness  of  the  country  which  leaves  nothing  to  the  im- 
agination and  calls  for  no  romantic  description  upon  the 
part  of  gifted  writers.  Guanajuato  can  stand  firmly 
upon  its  own  bottom;  and  upon  the  future  it  can  sub- 
stantially lean  without  any  fear  of  a  fall. 

The  geological  character  of  the  countr^''  remains 
naturally  exactly  the  same  as  when  the  invaluable  von 
Humboldt  described  it  in  his  studies  of  Mexican  min- 
eralogy-. That  authority  declared  "the  common  feld- 
spar of  the  country  belongs  to  the  most  ancient  forma- 
tions, which  furnish  twice  as  much  silver  as  Saxony." 
We  frequently  discover  only  vitreous  feldspar  in  the 
porphyries  of  Mexico.  The  veins  of  silver  in  the  Real  de 
Catorce,  Kl  Doctor,  Xachiz,  near  Zimapan,  traverse  the 
Alpine  limestone,  and  the  rock  reposes  on  a  pondin  with 
silicious  cement,  which  may  be  considered  as  the  most 
ancient  of  secondary  formations. 


A  Wonderful  Production  59 


The  veins  of  Guanajuato  contain  common  quartz, 
carbonate  of  lime,  pearl  spar,  splintery  hornstone,  cal- 
careous spar,  a  little  sulphate  of  baryta  and  brown  spar. 
The  most  abundant  metals  are  prismatic  black  silver, 
red  planet  or  vitreous  silver,  mixed  with  native  silver 
and  silber-schwartz.  In  the  Catorce  mines  the  gangue  is 
decomposed,  and  is  found  to  contain  lime,  spar,  red 
ochre  and  muriated  and  native  silver.  One  mine  alone  on 
the  famous  "Mother  Vein"  of  Guanajuato,  since  the  be- 
ginning of  the  16th  century,  produced  $300,000,000,  and 
during  ten  years  of  its  greatest  activity  about  $60,000,- 
000.  The  provincial  treasurer's  receipts  from  eleven  of 
the  principal  mines  during  a  period  of  eleven  years,  show 
a  production  of  $80,000,000.  All  this  white  metal  was 
shipped  down  to  Vera  Cruz,  and  the  exports  from  that 
port  annually  equalled  two-thirds  of  the  silver  extracted 
from  all  the  mines  of  the  world. 

Although  magnificent  silver  producers,  it  would  be 
incorrect,  as  so  many  authors  have  done,  to  describe  the 
Mexican  silver  mines  "as  the  richest  in  the  world."  Rich 
they  undoubtedly  are  and  must  continue  to  be  for  many 
years  to  come,  but  there  are  in  Europe  to-day  some  mines 
which  are  even  richer.  I  refer  to  the  Konsberg  mine  in 
Sweden  and  the  Schneeberg  mine  in  Saxony,  where 
large  masses  of  solid  silver  have  been  found  from  time 
to  time,  whereas  the  Mexican  metal  has  been  won  from 
ores  only  and  but  seldom  found  in  "chunks." 

As  a  matter  of  fact  the  silver  mines  of  Mexico  are 
particularly  valuable  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  al- 
most unlimited  amount  of  ore  from  which  the  metal  is 
extracted,  as  well  as  the  possibility  of  mining  even  very 
poor  grade  ores,  and  the  cheapness  of  the  native  labor. 


60  Mexico's  Treasure-House 


Records  prove  that  rich  pockets  of  silver  have  been  en- 
countered in  ^lexico,  as  in  Peru  and  elsewhere,  but,  as 
I  have  said,  it  is  the  abundance  of  the  low  grade  ore 
which  really  constitutes  the  richness  of  Mexican  mines. 
One  ^lexican  author — Gorces — even  went  so  far  as  to 
declare  in  his  work  "Nueva  Tesrica  del  Beneficio  de  los 
Metales,  ^lexico,"  that  "Mexican  ores  are  for  the  most 
part  so  poor  that  the  three  million  marca  which  the  do- 
main produces  in  good  years  are  won  from  ten  million 
quintals  of  ore."  I  may  add  that  a  marca  of  silver  equal- 
led 8  ounces,  and  a  quintal  (sometimes  written  "chuin- 
tal")  was  equal  to  100  lbs.,  or  4>  arrobas.  In  all  prob- 
ability Gorces  drew  his  conclusions  from  one  district 
only  and,  therefore,  formed  them  falsely;  certainly  had 
he  known  Guanajuato  as  he  should  have,  and  as  other 
authors  then  and  since  have  known  it,  he  would  never 
have  fallen  into  that  gross  error  of  describing  Mexican 
ores  generally  as  "poor."  If  these  ores  were  "poor," 
I  would  like  to  know  what  he  was  pleased  to  consider 
"rich"? 


Chapter  IV. 

The  Mexican  Labor  Supply. — The  Mexican  and  American  Miner 
Compared. — Relative  INIerits  and  Demerits  Considered. — The 
Peon  and  Public  Holidays. — But  200  Working  Days  out  of  the 
Year. — Old  Time  Wages  and  Wage-Sheets. — High  Cost  of 
Mining. — The  Meaning  of  a  "Bonanza." — Hard  Labor  in  the 
Mines. — The  "Mozo" — How  Peons  are  Usually  Handled. — 
The  Influence  of  the  Parish  Priest. — Brickmaking. — How  the 
Peon  Lives. — What  he  Eats  and  What  he  Wears. 

NO  one  who  has  had  anything  to  do  with  mining  in 
any  part  of  the  world,  who  has  ever  read  any- 
thing about  the  pursuit  of  mining  or  has  ever 
held  a  single  share  in  a  mining  concern,  need  be  told  that 
next  to  the  possession  of  a  mine  at  all  comes  the  all  im- 
portant question  of  efficient  and  cheap  labor.  The  Gua- 
najuato mines  are  especially  fortunate  both  in  the  quan- 
tity and  the  quality  of  their  labour  supply,  and  although 
the  rate  of  payment  is  to-day  more  than  double  what  it 
was  say  twenty  or  even  ten  years  ago,  it  is  still  suf- 
ficiently modest  to  leave  the  employers  perfectly  easy  in 
their  minds  as  to  its  present  and  future  condition. 

People  who  study  the  pay-roll  sheets  of  Mexican 
mines  and  compare  the  figures  with  those  of,  say,  Amer- 
ican miners,  observing  what  is  to  them  the  extraordinary 
anomaly  of  a  Mexican  receiving  but  75  cents  as  against 
an  American's  $3.50  gold  a  day,  are  apt  to  miss  the  very 
important  point  that  while  the  former  is  "absurdly 
cheap"  he  is  less  than  a  quarter  as  good  or  as  rehable.  It 
is  to  be  remembered  that  a  Mexican  laborer  in  the  mines 
is  only  about  one-half  to  two-thirds  as  efficient  as  an 

Page  61 


62  Meooico's  Treasure-House 


American  miner,  while  his  number  of  "Saints  Days'' 
(over  140  in  the  year)  render  him  less  reliable  as  an  in- 
stnuiient  than  his  Protestant  brother-workman.  Apart 
from  these  facts,  however,  the  ^Mexican  miner  is  a  good 
and  fairly  reliable  worker,  and  in  Guanajuato  he  is  par- 
ticularly plentiful.  His  rate  of  pay  is  75c.,  INIexican  Cy. 
(say  one  shilling  and  sixpence)  a  day,  and  in  certain 
classes  of  work ;  such,  for  instance,  as  assorting,  grading 
and  masonry  construction  (which  is  paid  at  even  lower 
rates),  the  Mexican  is  a  distinct  gain.  Men  receive  an 
average  payment  of  75c.  a  day,  women  50c.  and  boys 
25c.,  all  Mexican  Cy. — surely  a  moderate  enough  rate 
when  the  fairly  long  hours  of  labor  are  considered ! 

Such  things  as  strikes  and  "unions"  are  unusual,  the 
Mexican  being,  as  a  rule,  a  perfectly  tractable  and  fairly 
industrious  worker,  but  requiring  a  careful  overseer. 

A  mine  manager  of  many  years'  experience  in  Mexico 
has  placed  on  record  his  conviction  that,  in  regard  to 
labor  efficiency,  taken  all  round,  and  considering  care- 
fully all  the  pros  and  all  the  cons  the  Mexican  miner 
is  rather  preferable  to  the  American.  Whereas  the  for- 
mer is  easily  managed  and  does  nearly  all  classes  of 
work  fairly  well,  especially  excelling  in  working  out  and 
exhausting  bodies  of  ore,  the  white  worker  demands 
much  higher  wages,  quite  disproportionate  to  the  charac- 
ter and  the  amount  of  work  that  he  does,  and  is  addition- 
ally much  more  difficult  to  manage.  While  the  Mexican 
can  work  underground  well  and  easily  and  is  an  expert 
in  stone  and  masonry  work,  the  American  is  not  skilled 
ill  nnderground  stone  work,  although  he  is  good  at  tim- 
bering, while  the  Mexican  is  not.  On  the  other  hand 
tlie  Mexican,  if  he  gets  the  chance,  will  become  a  thief 


The  Mexican  Miner  63 


and  steal  quantities  of  ore  and  tools  from  time  to  time, 
while  he  is  prone  to  drunkenness  and  to  occasional  loaf- 
ing. The  American  miner,  while  far  from  a  saint  so  far 
as  peculations  are  concerned,  and  loving  as  he  does  his 
glass  of  whiskey  whenever  he  can  get  it,  is  on  the  whole 
more  reliable,  and  having  a  due  sense  of  honor,  may  be 
trusted  with  safety  where  a  Mexican  certainly  could  not. 

One  of  the  greatest  objections  to  employing  Mexican 
laborers  is  the  enormous  number  of  feast  days  which 
they  persist  in  keeping,  and  which  leaves  them  little 
more  than  200  days  out  of  the  year  for  work.  Both  the 
farm  laborers  and  most  of  the  miners  insist  upon  leav- 
ing their  tasks  on  all  Sundays  and  Mondays  of  the  year; 
all  feast-days  of  a  national  character ;  all  feast  days  or- 
dained by  the  Church;  the  day  of  the  patron  saint  of  the 
hacienda  where  they  work;  feast  days  of  the  patron 
saints  of  the  nearby  villages  and  churches ;  birthdays  of 
the  owners  of  the  hacienda,  and  of  the  administrator; 
their  own  birthdays  and  those  of  the  members  of  their 
families;  days  upon  which  the  baptisms,  weddings  and 
funerals  of  the  members  of  their  families  or  of  their 
friends  take  place ;  and  on  any  other  excuse,  frivolous  or 
serious,  that  may  present  itself.  Things  are  somewhat 
improving,  however,  since  several  managers  of  mines 
and  plantations  now  make  it  a  rule  to  dismiss  altogether 
any  man  who  too  frequently  absents  himself  from  his 
duties,  a  course  of  procedure  which  is  having  a  markedly 
beneficial  effect,  especially  since  the  Church  itself  is 
opposed  to  such  absence  except  on  its  own  solemn  feast- 
days. 

It  is  a  source  of  wonderment  to  some  how  the  former 
mine  owners  managed  to  make  such  colossal  fortunes 


64  Meooico's  Treasure-House 


from  their  properties,  considering  the  heavy  expenses  to 
which  they  were  put  for  labor,  machinerjs  fuel  etc.,  all 
combined,  and  which  brought  the  total  cost  of  their 
working  up  to  something  like  $15  or  $18  per  metric  ton, 
compared  %\ath  but  $5  to-day. 

It  cost  them  from  $1.50  to  $3  a  ton  to  have  the  ore 
dumped  on  the  "patio"  and  handsorted;  all  the  ore  from 
the  stopes  was  carried  painfully  and  slowly  on  men's 
backs  to  the  shafts,  dumped  and  rehandled  there.     The 
extremely  hard  physical  exertion  which  this  part  of  the 
proceedings  entailed  upon  the  luckless  individuals  carry- 
ing it  out  would  horrify  the  "worthy  souls"  in  England 
who  lament  the  "slavery"  of  the  Chinese  employed  on  the 
Rand.    Theirs  is  child's  play  compared  to  this  arduous 
carrj^ing  of  heavy  sacks  full  of  ore  up  an  uneven,  pre- 
cipitous stair  of  stone  steps,  cut  at  uncertain  distances, 
no  more  than  6  or  8  inches  wide  and  as  steep  as  10  or 
15  inches.  Walking  up  or  down  such  subterranean  stair- 
ways as  these,  with  no  burden  to  carry,  is  trying  enough ; 
but  to  attempt  it  when  heavily  loaded,  as  I  have  de- 
scribed, is  the  most  painful  and  exhausting  labor  imag- 
inable.   While  the  poor  peons  thus  employed  were  mis- 
erably paid,  the  pay-rolls  generally,  owing  to  the  number 
of  men  at  work,  were  exceedingly  heav^^  amounting  to 
from  $4,000  to  $5,000  weekly.     Mr.  Dwight  Furness, 
one  of  the  best-informed  men  in  Guanajuato  and  the 
United  States  Consul  there,  has  stated  that  even  in  the 
mines  worked  during  the  past  ten  years  and  under  com- 
paratively modern  conditions,  like  the  Esperanza  and 
Cedro,  the  cost  of  mining  averaged  over  $12  per  ton 
of  ore  to  the  mills.    In  addition  to  this,  the  mills,  being 
nearly  all  located  on  the  banks  of  the  Guanajuato  River 


When  A  Mine  Is  In  ''Bonanza"  65 

on  account  of  the  water-supply  as  much  as  for  security, 
heavy  freight  charges  for  transportation  of  the  ores  to 
the  mills  had  to  be  encountered,  being  never  less  than 
$1.50  per  ton  and  amounting  to  as  much  as  $3.50  per 
ton.  In  those  days  it  was  the  mills  that  made  most  of  the 
money,  Mr.  Furness  telling  us  that  the  mines  were 
almost  universally  worked  under  the  old  "avio"  or  lease, 
all  profits,  except  in  times  of  bonanza  being  made  in 
these  mills,  the  mines  in  the  course  of  time  being  looked 
upon  merely  as  so  many  feeders  to  supply  ore  to  the 
mills.  The  word  "bonanza" — which  is  really  a  sea  term 
— as  appHed  here,  I  may  point  out,  means  a  mine  in 
such  a  state  as  to  cover  all  the  expenses  of  working  it, 
and  to  leave  a  considerable  annual  profit  to  the  pro- 
prietor. It  implies  no  particular  sum,  for  there  may 
have  been  a  "bonanza"  of  a  million  or  a  "bonanza"  of 
only  20,000  dollars ;  but  it  always  signifies  among  Mex- 
ican miners  that  things  are  proceeding  satisfactorily — 
in  short  that  they  are  "in  the  trade-winds,"  with  stud- 
ding sails  set  below  and  aloft  and  every  prospect  of  a 
prosperous  voyage. 

Recalhng  the  extremely  arduous  existences  passed  by 
the  Mexicans  employed  in  mining  under  their  Spanish 
masters,  and  in  the  early  days  of  their  freedom  from 
practical  slavery,  brings  up  the  question  as  to  what  sort 
of  labor  the  mines  are  enabled  to  depend  upon  to-day. 
This  may  be  said  to  be  abundant  and  on  the  whole  cheap, 
or  at  least  it  appeared  to  be  so  until  the  several  pros 
and  cons  in  connection  with  native  and  white  labor 
are  carefully  considered.  Upon  this  phase  of  the  ques- 
.  tion  I  have  already  commented  (see  page  62),  thus 
affording   opportunities    for   comparing   the   opinions 


66  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

of  various  mine-managers  who  have  had  great  experi- 
ence with  Mexican  peon  workers. 

From  what  I  have  seen  of  the  poen  laborers  at  the 
mines  and  haciendas  in  Mexico,  I  should  say  they  are  a 
tractable  and  easily  managed  people,  seldom  rebelling 
against  recognized  authority,  although  upon  occasions 
they  have  been  known  to  indulge  in  rioting.  A  handful 
of  local  police  will,  however,  speedily  put  an  end  to  an 
outbreak,  and  a  few  cracked  skulls  the  following  day, 
combined  with  a  broken-down  door  or  so,  are  usually  the 
sum  total  of  damage  sustained. 

Especially  useful  and  amiable  is  the  hody-mozo,  of 
whom  every  mine  possesses  at  least  one,  and  as  many 
as  half-a-dozen.  Upon  long  or  short  cross-country 
journeys  on  horse  back  the  7/1020  is  found  simply  in- 
valuable and  quite  tireless.  He  thinks  but  little  of  him- 
self, and  never  until  every  want  and  wish  of  his  master 
have  been  met  and  gratified.  Although  to-day,  when 
travelling  in  almost  any  part  of  iVIexico,  if  I  except  the 
states  of  Sonora  and  Yucatan  in  some  portions,  is  at- 
tended with  no  more  danger  than  would  be  found  to 
exist  in  Broadway  or  Piccadilly,  the  mozo  is  not  re- 
quired to  defend  his  master  from  brigandish  attacks, 
he  would  be  perfectly  ready  to  do  so  at  a  moment's 
notice,  and  to  lay  down  his  life  for  him  if  necessary. 
Although  times  have  changed  and  are  changing  day  by 
day,  the  mozo  remains  just  the  same  faithful,  trust- 
worthy and  careful  servant,  not  over  intelligent,  maybe, 
or  over  cleanly  in  appearance,  but  as  loyal  and  as  de- 
pendable as  one  could  meet  anywhere  in  the  wide  world. 

All  the  great  estates  or  haciendas  in  Mexico  have  their 
mozos  as  well  as  their  peon  labour.     Most  of  this  is 


The  Mexican  Peon  As  He  Is  67 

hereditary,  and  almost  as  much  of  an  inheritance  as  the 
estate  or  hacienda  itself.  The  laborers  here  are  ads- 
cripti  glehoe;  the  owner  of  the  hacienda  is  their  feudal 
lord ;  they  seek  and  obey  no  authority  but  his,  and  unless 
forcibly  turned  away  they  would  seldom  think  of  leaving 
him  and  his  emplojonent.  So  far,  then,  as  the  supply  of 
such  labor  is  concerned  Mexico  is  peculiarly  fortunate. 

As  an  individual,  the  Mexican  peon  is  not  a  loveable 
character — except  for  his  fidelity.  He  is  much  like  a 
child  in  many  ways,  and  has  to  be  frequently  treated  as 
one.  He  even  fails  to  resent  a  chastisement  from  his  em- 
ployer, provided  his  conscience  tells  him  that  he  has  de- 
served it.  I  have  seen  a  peon,  knocked  down  by  a  heavy 
blow  on  the  jaw  from  the  fist  of  his  enraged  master, 
simply  pick  himself  up  more  surprised  than  angry,  and 
depart  without  the  least  evidence  of  any  resentment.  On 
the  other  hand  a  word  of  encouragement  or  a  courteous 
"buenos  dias"  when  met  on  the  road,  brings  a  smile  of 
pleasure  and  gratification  to  his  face,  the  genuineness  of 
which  is  unmistakable. 

The  peon  is  slow  by  nature,  very  improvident,  being 
practically  born  and  invariably  dying  in  debt,  greatly 
addicted  to  drunkenness  from  indulging  in  too  much  of 
his  beloved  pulque,  and  spending  his  slender  earnings 
upon  cock-fighting  and  betting  on  lottery  chances.  He 
is  seldom  able  to  control  himself  under  great  provoca- 
tion, and  the  use  of  the  knife  is  painfully  frequent  even 
in  the  cities,  being  only  rarely  punished  (as  it  certainly 
should  be)  by  death. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  greatest  faults  possessed  by  the 
Mexican  miner-peon  is  his  thieving  propensity.  A  very 
keen  eye  has  to  be  continually  kept  upon  him,  otherwise 


68  Mexico's  Treasure-House 


every  tool  in  the  mine  would  disappear  in  time,  and 
great  quantities  of  rich  ore  also.  When  the  disappear- 
ance of  the  mining  tools  becomes  unusually  serious,  the 
manager  pays  a  visit  to  the  parish  priest,  formulates  a 
complaint,  and  then  patiently  awaits  the  favorable  re- 
sults which  he  knows  will  come. 

The  priest  is  generously  treated  by  the  mine  owners 
and  managers,  for  his  personal  influence  is  enormous  and 
practically  indispensable.  He,  on  the  other  hand,  could 
barely  exist  but  for  the  "remembrances"  of  which  he 
from  time  to  time  is  the  recipient  at  the  hands  of  the 
mine-proprietors.  So,  on  the  Sunday  following  the  theft 
of  the  tools,  the  priest  preaches  a  solemn  and  soul-stir- 
ring sermon.  With  appropriate  dramatic  gesture  he  re- 
lates how  "a  certain  dream"  the  previous  night  had  at- 
tended him,  "in  which  the  faces  and  forms  of  certain 
among  his  flock  came  out  clearly,  faces  and  forms  of 
those  who  had  stolen  wickedly  the  tools  belonging  to 
such  and  such  a  company,  which  paid  them  wages  for 
their  labor,  but  whom  they  shamefully  robbed  in  return! 
How  could  he  with  all  his  prayers  and  penances  hope  to 
save  from  Hell's  fires  the  souls  of  those  who  thus  sin- 
fully stole  the  company's  tools?" 

The  next  day  those  mining  tools  reappear  as  silently 
and  mysteriously  as  they  had  disappeared,  and  let  us 
hope  many  a  repentant  soul  has  thus  been  saved  from 
perdition. 

Long  before  the  Spaniards  came  to  Mexico  the  native 
races  had  travelled  far  upon  the  road  to  civilization;  of 
this  there  is  abundant  evidence  to-day.  Their  present 
backward  condition  may  be  attributed  to  the  cruel  perse- 
cutions, slavery  and  oppression  which  they  had  to  un- 


Makers  of  Bricks  69 


dergo  at  the  hands  of  their  Christian  conquerors.  For 
three  hundred  years  they  were  kept  in  dense  ignorance 
by  the  priests,  their  minds  being  alone  filled  with  the 
most  degrading  superstitions.  Is  it,  therefore,  any 
wonder  that  the  peon  of  to-day  is  but  little  better  than 
his  forefather  intellectually,  and  can  it  be  marvelled  at 
that  he  is  more  successfully  approached  and  controlled 
through  fear  and  threats  ?  The  semi-torpid  condition  of 
the  peon  class  is  more  the  outcome  of  abuse  and  neglect 
than  any  natural  defect  of  intelligence  on  their  part. 
The  next  ten  years,  I  should  say,  are  destined  to  effect 
some  change  among  the  rising  generation,  but  the 
evolution  of  the  Mexican  peon  will  be  a  slow  and  pain- 
ful one  from  an  educational  and  social  point  of  view. 

It  is  interesting  to  watch  the  peons  at  mines  and  on 
the  haciendas  making  their  adobe  bricks,  reminding  one 
strongly  of  a  scene  out  of  the  Bible,  but  not  at  all  of  the 
process  described  by  Walt  Whitman  in  his  "Song  of  the 
Broad-axe," — "The  bricks  one  after  another,  each  laid 
so  workman-like  in  its  place,  and  set  with  a  knock  of 
the  trowel  handle." 

The  peons  use  certain  kinds  of  earth,  tough  and  pos- 
sessing special  qualities  known  to  themselves.  They  mix 
the  earth  with  plenty  of  water  until  the  mass  resembles 
a  thin  kind  of  mortar.  Cut  straw  is  then  added,  and 
when  this  has  been  well  mixed  up  in  the  mud,  it  is  ready 
to  be  converted  into  bricks.  The  further  process  is  sim- 
plicity itself.  A  frame,  generally  24  x  18  inches,  is  used, 
which  is  divided  by  a  cross-board  into  two  even  halves. 
This  frame  is  placed  flat  upon  the  ground  and  the  wet, 
earthy  mixture  is  just  shoveled  into  the  two  partitions, 
the  top  or  overflow  is  scraped  ofl*,  the  frame  work  lifted 


70  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

and  the  two  bricks  are  left  to  dn'-  in  the  sun.  They  are 
fully  twice  as  large  and  about  as  thick  as  an  English  or 
an  American-made  brick,  and  of  a  dirty  brown  color. 
A  skilful  and  industrious  adohero  (as  the  Mexican  brick- 
maker  is  called)  can  easily  make  from  100  to  300  bricks 
a  day.  These  are  left  for  a  couple  of  days  to  dry,  being 
turned  once  or  twice  by  hand.  When  sufficiently  firm 
to  stand  upon  their  edges,  they  dry  much  faster. 

Until  some  few  years  ago,  practically  all  the  mine 
buildings,  as  wtU  as  the  houses  in  the  interior  towns  of 
JNIexico,  were  constructed  of  these  adobe  bricks,  and 
some  towns  to-day  still  have  some  90  per  cent,  of  their 
buildings  thus  constructed. 

It  takes  but  little  to  sustain  life  in  the  Mexican  peon, 
and  it  is  astonishing  to  find  these  puny-looking,  under- 
fed men  carrying  enormousty  heavy  burdens,  which  no 
bulky  English  or  American  navvy  would  care  to 
shoulder.  The  staple  food  of  the  peon  is  the  tortilla,  a 
flat,  round  cake,  soft  and  doughy,  made  of  coarsely- 
crushed  maize.  In  the  condition  in  which  it  is  eaten  by 
the  Mexicans,  roughly  mixed  and  only  slightly  baked, 
and  filled  ^\ith  a  greasy  mixture  of  hot  chile  and 
chopped-up  onions,  it  is  not  particularly  palatable 
to  the  average  European  or  American.  But  these  same 
tortillas,  well  mixed  and  properly  baked,  are  agreeable 
enough,  and  when  eaten  with  butter,  having  been  pre- 
viously toasted  to  a  nice  crispness,  they  are  even 
delicious. 

The  peon  rarely  tastes  meat;  but  when  he  does  in- 
dulge in  this  luxury  it  is  not  the  choicest  portions  of  the 
animal  that  he  can  afford  to  buy.  Tortillas  for  break- 
fast, dinner  and  supper,  day  in  and  day  out  all  the  year 


The  Peons'  Costumes  71 

around,  form  his  main  and  in  fact  only  refreshment,  but 
apparently  he  thrives  upon  the  treatment.  Clothes  cost 
him  little  or  nothing,  and  house  rent  but  a  mere  trifle. 
The  male  peon  usually  wears  a  loosely  fitting  suit  of 
white  cloth, — originally  white,  that  is  to  say,  and  any  old 
pair  of  sandals  that  he  can  pick  up.  His  hat  is  a  wonder- 
ful creation  in  size,  being  of  the  "Mother  Goose"  style 
known  to  us  mainly  through  the  pantomimes,  and  as 
dirty  as  the  rest  of  his  attire.  His  inevitable  companion 
is  his  blanket,  which  he  carries  about  mth  him  all  day 
and  sleeps  in  at  night.  These  blankets  are  usually  of  a 
cheap  and  but  thinly-woven  material,  and  can  afford  but 
little  real  warmth.  The  color  varies,  but  for  every  blue, 
brown  or  other  hue,  one  sees  a  hundred  of  bright  red, 
that  being  the  color  mostly  favored  by  the  wearers. 
The  women's  costumes  are  of  cheap  and  sober-colored 
prints — blue,  brown  and  black;  except  upon  holidays 
and  feast  days,  when  both  women  and  girls  adorn  them- 
selves in  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow,  adding  much 
brightness  and  animation  to  the  street  scenes  thereby. 
Some  of  the  women  and  Httle  children  wear  sandals, 
but  many  may  be  found  barefooted.  When  not  wearing 
the  shawl-mantilla,  women  use  the  same  steeple-crowned 
hats  as  the  men  and  boys,  these  costing  only  a  very  few 
centavos  a  piece. 


Chapter  V. 

The  Guanajuato   Consolidated   Mining  and   Milling   Company. — A 
Powerful  Corporation  with  Numerous  and  Valuable  Properties. 

The  Different  Interests  Controlled. — Plant,  Machinery  and 

Equipment. — The  Sirena  Group  of  Mines. — The  Vein  Area. — 
How  the  Vein  is  Worked. — The  Cardonas  Group. — A  Valuable 
Mine  in  Prospect. — San  Vicente  and  San  Bartolo  Groups. — 
The  Barragana  Group. — A  Visit  to  the  Mine. — The  Milling 
Operations. — The  Company's  Financial  Position. 

THE  Guanajuato  Consolidated  ]\Iining  and  Mill- 
ing Company  was  organized  in  the  year  1898, 
to  take  over  and  work  the  Sirena  mine,  situated 
on  the  Veta  ]Madre  (or  INIother  Lode)  of  Guanajuato. 
Since  its  organization,  the  company  has  been  gradually 
and  persistently  purchasing  additional  property  until, 
at  the  present  time,  it  owns  at  least  six  times  the  area  of 
mining  property  that  it  possessed  originally. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  properties  which  the 
Guanajuato  Consolidated  ^Mining  and  Milling  Com- 
pany owns  outright  or  is  interested  in: 

Pertenencias.      Acres. 
Sirena  Group 73.96     182.75  (Entire  own- 
ership) 
Barragana, Constantina,etc.67.50     100.78  (50 percent.) 
San  Vicente,  San  Bartolo,    39.67       98.02(03  percent. 

and  entire 
ownership  re- 
spectively.) 

Cardonas    r2.00       29.05  (50 percent.) 

Total 193.13     477.20 

Carmen 48.03     120.10  (51percent.) 

Grand  total 241.70     597.30 

Pag:e  72 


The  Mines'  Equipments  73 

Besides  the  above,  the  Consolidated  Company  owns 
10  per  cent,  in  the  preferred  and  common  stock  of  the 
Concordia  and  Rayas  Company,  one  of  the  largest  com- 
panies operating  on  the  Veta  Madre,  north  of  the  Sirena 
mine. 

The  milling  plant  and  miscellaneous  interests  owned 
by  this  company  can  only  be  briefly  described  owing  to 
their  number,  but,  first,  must  be  named  the  fine  Hacienda 
de  San  Francisco  de  Pastita,  adjoining  the  town  of 
Guanajuato  and  covering  a  tract  of  land  about  5  acres 
in  extent,  surrounded  by  a  high  wall,  as  is  usual  on  all 
Mexican  haciendas,  old  and  new.  In  this  area  are  situ- 
ated the  company's  Stamp  Mill,  Cyanide  Plant,  Melt- 
ing House,  Assay  Office,  Power  Plant,  Electric  Light 
Plant,  Workshops,  Storehouses,  Local  Water  Works, 
Main  Business  Office,  Residence,  Stables,  and  Gardens. 

The  stamp  mill  is  one  of  80  stamps,  recently  finished, 
being  equipped  with  the  most  improved  modern  appli- 
ances and  machinery,  which  have  completely  replaced 
the  old  mill  plant  first  built  by  the  company.  In  ad- 
dition to  the  80  stamps,  there  are  two  Huntington  mills 
and  a  complete  concentrating  plant  of  Wilfley  tables, 
Johnsons  and  Frue  vanners. 

The  cyanide  plant  is  quite  a  modern  one,  consisting 
of  50  steel  tanks  and  a  series  of  masonry  tanks,  having 
an  aggregate  holding  capacity  of  2,300,000  gallons  of 
pulp,  and  equipped  with  the  pipe-lines,  pumps,  agita- 
tion machinery,  zinc  boxes  for  precipitation  and  filter 
presses,  etc. 

The  power  plant  is  both  electric  and  steam,  and 
consists  of  electric  motors,  having  an  aggregate  capacity 
of  1,000  horse-power,  with  transmission  lines  for  power 


74  Mea^ico's  Treasure-House 

and  light  throughout  the  hacienda  and  to  the  mines.  As 
an  auxiliary  to  this  plant,  there  is  a  modern  steam-plant 
of  Heine  safety  boilers,  Corliss  engines,  etc. 

A  splendidly  equipped  mine  tramway  consists  of  a 
uniformly-graded  track  of  40ft.  steel  rails,  laid  to  26- 
inch  gauge,  extending  from  the  stamp  mill,  in  the  ha- 
cienda, through  a  tunnel  into  the  mine-workings,  a  total 
length  of  8,780  feet,  exclusive  of  side-tracks,  whicli 
make  an  aggregate  of  more  than  10,000  feet  in  length. 

The  water  works  consist  of  a  jNIata  dam  storage 
reservoir,  in  which  are  impounded  the  waters  flowing 
in  San  Nicolas  Creek,  the  most  important  branch  of 
the  Guanajuato  River,  together  with  intermediary  dams, 
masonry  aqueducts  and  pipe-lines  extending  between  the 
dam  and  the  company's  hacienda,  a  distance  of  11,437 
feet,  and  thence  distributed  throughout  the  hacienda 
by  branch  pipe-lines. 

The  Sirena  Group  of  mines,  to  which  reference  has 
been  made,  includes  within  its  boundaries  an  area  which 
covers  3,300  feet  along  the  course  or  strike  of  the  Veta 
Madre  vein,  by  2,000  feet  from  the  hanging- wall  of  the 
outcrop  of  the  vein  horizontally  over  its  dip,  or  down- 
ward continuation  into  the  earth.  The  Veta  JNIadre, 
having  a  dip  angle  of  45  degrees  from  the  horizontal, 
tlie  horizontal  width  of  surface  area  of  2,000  feet,  would 
include  within  its  vertical  boundaries  a  total  distance  or 
depth  of  2,825  feet  of  the  downward  continuation  of  the 
vein.  The  total  area,  therefore,  of  the  Mother  Vein, 
within  the  Sirena  group,  is  a  rectangle,  measuring  3,300 
feet  in  length  ])y  2,825  feet  in  breadth,  which  would 
contain  9,322,500  square  feet. 


Geneh.m,  Vif.w 


iHE  Guanajuato  Coxsoi.inATED  Mining  and  Milling  Co.'s  Plant  and  the  Siren.i 

Tlie  Sirena  vein  passes  behind  this  mountain,  and  dips  beneatli  it  towards  the  mill. 


^ 


The  Sirena  Mine  75 

This  vein  area  is,  however,  further  increased  by  that 
portion  of  the  vein  lying  under  the  per.teneneias  cover- 
ing the  company's  Purisima  tunnel.  This  covers  an 
area  of  328  feet  along  the  strike  of  the  vein,  by  984 
feet  over  its  dip.  This  latter  dimension  of  the  surface- 
area  covers  1,392  feet  of  the  vein  on  its  dip;  hence, 
328  feet  x  1,392  feet  gives  an  additional  vein  area  of 
456,576  square  feet,  which,  added  to  the  9,322,500  square 
feet  alre^y  calculated,  gives  for  the  superficial  area  of 
the  vein  within  the  boundaries  of  this  group,  a  total  of 
9,779,076  square  feet.  Reduced  to  larger  measures  to 
facilitate  a  more  adequate  conception,  this  area  is  equal 
to  225  acres. 

To  better  understand  the  forgoing  measurements,  it 
should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  thickness,  or  width,  of 
the  Veta  Madre  ranges  from  100  to  300  feet,  and  that 
under  this  group  there  lay  225  acres  of  this  vein-matter, 
varying  in  width,  within  these  thicknesses,  and  dipping 
into  the  earth  at  an  angle  of  45  degrees,  and  also  that 
the  greater  portion  of  this  area  is,  as  yet,  unexplored. 
This  mass  of  vein-matter  is  believed  to  be  ramified  with 
masses  and  bodies  of  ore  of  as  yet  undetermined  dimen- 
sions, while  these  bodies  may  continue  in  dimensions 
equal  to  those  of  the  ore  bodies  now  developed  in  the 
bottom  workings  of  the  mine,  say,  100  feet  or  more  in 
width,  while  it  is  possible  that  these  ores  may  range  from 
low-grade  milling  ores  to  high-grade  shipping  ores,  so 
altogether  a  fairly  accurate  conception  of  the  enormous 
extent  of  the  Sirena  mine  and  the  clever  engineering 
which  is  required  for  its  systematic  exploration,  develop- 
ment and  economic  operation,  may  be  formed. 


76  Mexico's  Treasure-House 


The  magnitude  of  this  vein  and  the  ore  bodies  which 
it  contains  is  probably  without  parallel. 

The  Cardonas  Group  covers  an  area  of  12  perte- 
nencias  of  29.65  acres,  over  the  Veta  Madre,  and  lies  to 
the  east  of  the  Cedro.  This  group  also  practically  ad- 
joins the  Carmen  Grou}).  There  is  considerable  de- 
velopment work  done  on  this  property,  and  a  large  body 
of  ore,  having  an  average  value  of  $12.50  per  ton  gold, 
has  been  developed.  The  prospect  for  a  valuable  mine 
in  this  group  is  exceptionally  good;  in  fact  it  may  be 
said  that  such  is  already  assured. 

The  San  Vicente  and  San  Bartolo  Groups  lie  in  the 
Santa  Rosa  district.  They  contain  within  their  bound- 
aries two  of  the  three  veins  that  traverse  the  Santa  Rosa 
district,  and  have  made  it  famous  as  a  mining  centre. 
There  is  considerable  systematic  development  of  a  sub- 
stantial nature  done  on  the  veins  in  these  groups,  which 
has  developed  large  payable  bodies  of  milling  ores. 

The  Barragana  Group  is  located  between  the  Pere- 
grina  mine,  owned  by  the  Peregrina  ^Mining  and  ]Mill- 
ing  Company,  which,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  descrip- 
tion of  that  company  which  follows,  is  erecting  a  120- 
stamp  mill  for  the  treatment  of  its  ores  and  the  El 
^lonte  mine,  o\\Tied  by  a  ^lexican  company.  The 
latter  mine  is  accredited  with  a  production  of  about 
$30,000.00  in  the  past.  The  work  done  on  the  Barra- 
gana Group  shows  it  to  hold  out  great  promise  of  mak- 
ing as  large  and  profitable  a  mining  enterprise  as  its 
neighbor,  the  Peregrina  mine. 

The  Sirena  mine  is  the  most  prominent  and  the  more 
extensively  operated  of  all  the  company's  mining  prop- 
erties.   I  was  ena})led  to  make  a  careful  examination  of 


GiiNF.HAL  View  ur  Tin:  Cvanidi:   Plant  at  Tin.  (iuAXA.iuATO  Coxsolidatku  JIinini;  ami  Mii.i.iNt;  d 

'I'vikfii  frutii  tlif  roof  of  tile  nmiiager's  housf. 


The  Journey  to  the  Mine  77 


it,  and  the  impressions  received  were  highly  and 
uniformly  favorable. 

Leaving  the  rock  house  of  the  stamp  mill,  at  the 
hacienda,  the  journey  to  the  mine  is  made  in  a  flat  car, 
"Pullman,"  over  the  well  laid  tram  road,  3,500  feet,  to 
the  elaborately  ornamental  portal  of  the  Purisima  tun- 
nel, the  adit  or  main  entrance  to  the  mine;  thence 
through  this  tunnel  2,500  feet  to  its  intersection  with  the 
"Veta  Madre,"  near  the  El  Principe  shaft,  thence 
northerly  through  the  vein,  1,300  feet,  to  the  Soledad 
shaft,  thence,  continuing  northward  in  the  vein,  a 
further  distance  of  1,476  feet  to  the  end  of  the  tunnel, 
and  so  on  to  the  northerly  boundary  of  the  mine. 

This  tram  road  is  tracked  with  40  lb.  steel  rails,  laid 
to  36-inch  gauge,  on  a  1/10  of  1%  grade,  in  favor  of  the 
loaded  cars  coming  from  mine  to  mill.  This  tunnel 
intersects  the  Veta  Madre  at  a  point  400  feet  vertically 
below  the  surface.  Below  the  tunnel  level,  the  vein  is 
developed  through  the  two  incline  shafts  named  above, 
"the  El  Principe"  and  the  "Soledad."  These  shafts 
are  sunk  on  the  vein  below  the  tunnel  level  to  vertical 
depths  of  500  feet  and  450  feet  respectively,  and,  con- 
necting these  shafts  with  each  other,  tunnels  are  run  in 
the  vein  an  average  vertical  depth  of  about  100  feet 
apart.  From  these  tunnels,  at  intervals,  crosscuts  are 
run  at  right  angles  towards  the  hanging  and  foot  walls 
of  the  vein,  and  from  these  crosscuts  raises  are  made 
through  the  ore  bodies  to  the  levels  above.  Thus  the 
vein  is  penetrated  with  horizontal  and  vertical  openings 
or  workings,  by  means  of  which  it  may  be  examined  and 
its  physical  conditions  determined. 


78  Mexico's  Treasure-House 


The  tunnels  in  the  vein  are  tracked  with  steel  rails  on 
which  push-cars,  having  a  capacity  of  three-quarter  ton 
each,  constitute  the  rolling  stock.  When  the  ore  is 
broken  in  the  vein,  it  slides  by  gravity  down  through 
chutes  to  the  levels.  These  chutes  are  equipped  with 
gates,  at  each  level,  which,  when  opened,  allow  the  ore 
to  pass  through  and  fall  into  the  push-cars.  When 
these  cars  are  full,  the  gates  of  the  chutes  are  closed,  the 
chutes  acting  in  the  meantime  as  storage  bins.  The 
loaded  cars  are  pushed  to  the  shaft  by  a  peon  carman, 
and  the  load  of  ore  is  dumped  into  the  receiving  bin,  at 
the  shaft  station.  At  the  point  in  the  shaft  where  the 
level  workings  start  through  the  vein,  there  is  a  large 
excavation  called  a  "station."  Under  the  floor  of  the 
shaft  stations,  large  pockets  are  excavated  in  the  hang- 
ing walls  of  the  shaft,  having  a  holding  capacity  of  from 
two  to  three  hundred  tons.  The  bottoms  of  these  pockets 
are  provided  with  two  gates,  which,  when  open,  dis- 
charge into  the  hoisting  skips  in  the  shaft.  When  the 
skips  are  full,  a  hoisting  signal  is  given  to  the  engineer 
at  the  top,  and  the  skips  are  hoisted  over  steel  tracks, 
and,  on  reaching  the  top,  which  is  about  40  feet  over 
the  tunnel  level,  are  dumped  automatically  over  bar 
screens  ( called  grizzlies ) . 

Wlien  passing  over  these  screens,  the  portion  of  the 
ore  fine  enough  to  pass  through  the  openings  in  the 
screens  falls  through  and  is  conducted  to  a  separate 
compartment  in  the  ore  screen,  called  the  "fines."  The 
ore  pieces  which  are  too  large  to  pass  through  the  screen 
slide  by  gravity  into  a  compartment  adjoining  that  for 
the  fines,  and  here  the  ore  is  known  as  the  "coarse  ore." 
These  ore  bins  discharge  their  contents  througli  chutes. 


>     —    X 


JLLiT' 


I 


Treatment  on  Reaching  the  Surface  79 

into  steel  cars,  having  a  holding  capacity  of  three  tons 
each,  which  are  hauled  to  the  dayhght  by  a  25  horse- 
power electric  engine  in  trains  consisting  of  ten  cars  each. 

On  reaching  the  surface,  the  cars  containing  the  coarse 
rock  are  dumped  into  a  storage  bin,  this  having  a  ca- 
pacity of  200  tons.  At  the  bottom  of  this  bin  is  set  a 
Blake  crusher  which  receives  the  coarse  rock,  as  it  is 
delivered  by  gravity  from  the  storage  bin,  and  crushes 
it  to  pieces,  fine  enough  for  the  largest  piece  to  pass 
through  a  II/2"  ring.  Thus  crushed,  the  rock  falls  into 
the  boot  of  an  elevator,  from  which  it  is  lifted  45  feet  and 
delivered  into  a  screen,  and  thence  passes  through  the 
feed  hopper,  when  it  is  delivered  on  to  an  endless  pick- 
ing-belt. This  belt  consists  of  steel  slats  30  inches  wide, 
and  which  overlap  each  other  in  an  ingenious  way,  and 
is  itself  some  75  feet  in  length,  between  the  carrying 
wheels  at  either  end,  and  having  a  travel  speed  of  30  feet 
per  minute. 

The  ore  elevated  from  the  crusher  is  fed  regularly  on 
to  this  belt,  on  which  it  forms  a  thin  layer.  On  either  side 
of  the  belt  are  stationed  ore-sorters,  who  pick  out  the 
waste,  or  low-grade,  ore  as  the  belt  carries  its  load  past. 
About  20%  of  the  weight  of  the  coarse  ore  coming  from 
the  mine  is  picked  out  and  goes  to  the  waste,  or  low- 
grade  dumps.  By  the  time  the  belt  has  passed  12  ore 
sorters,  6  on  either  side,  the  ore  which  it  carries  is  cleaned 
of  all  undesirable  matter  and  the  remainder  is  delivered 
into  the  clean  ore  bin  at  the  delivery  end  of  the  belt. 
From  this  bin  it  is  loaded  into  three-ton  cars,  and  the 
coarse  ore,  with  the  fines  screened  in  the  mine,  are  run  in 
trains  of  10  to  12  cars  and  dumped  into  the  storage  bins 
at  the  Stamp  Mill,  which  have  a  holding  capacity  of 


80  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

1,000  tons.  The  ore  thus  delivered  has  an  average  value 
of  $30.00  Mexican  Currency  (say  £3)  per  ton. 

And  now  begin  the  milling  operations.  From  the 
mill  storage  bins,  which  are  situated  immediately  behind 
the  stamp  batteries,  the  ore,  already  crushed  as  de- 
scribed, is  fed  automatically  into  the  battery  mortars, 
of  ^\hich  there  are  16.  In  each  of  these  mortars  there 
are  5  stamps. 

The  crushing,  or  pulping,  operation  is  carried  on  by 
means  of  these  5  stamps.  Each  of  these  stamps  ^veighs 
1,250  ttjs.,  and  is  lifted  by  a  cam  and  dropped  7  inches 
100  times  a  minute  on  the  ore  which  is  fed  into  the  mor- 
tar. The  pulping  of  the  ore  is  effected  wet,  7  to  8  tons  of 
water  being  fed  into  the  mortar  for  each  ton  of  ore.  The 
front  of  the  mortar  is  fitted  with  diagonal  slot  screens, 
equivalent  to  35  mesh  per  linear  inch.  In  the  pumping 
operation  the  splash  of  the  falling  stamps,  keeps  the 
pulp  in  continuous  agitation  against  the  slotted  screen, 
and,  when  the  pulp  grains  are  fine  enough,  the  water 
carries  them  out  through  these  screens.  On  issuing  from 
the  mortar,  the  pulp  is  sized,  the  slime  going  to  the  Frue 
vanners  and  the  sand  to  the  Wilfley  tables.  Tlie  con- 
centration effected  on  these  show  a  recovery  of  about 
509c  of  the  values  in  the  crude  ore  extracted,  in  a  con- 
centrate weighing  about  2.5%  of  the  total  weight  of  the 
pulp.  The  concentrates  recovered  by  the  Wilfley  tables 
are  sold  to  smelters  and  yield  about  887o  of  their  gross 
value  in  the  form  of  bankable  funds,  net,  to  the  com- 
pany. 

The  pulp  flowing  from  the  Wilfley  tables,  and  con- 
taining 50''  of  the  gross  value  in  the  crude  ore,  is  now 
subjected  to  a  process  of  preparation  for  cyanide  treat- 


"VM*. 


A  Prosperous  Concern  81 

ment.  By  gravity  settling  and  hydraulic  classification, 
it  is  separated  into  sand  and  slime,  these  occurring  in 
the  ratio  of  40%  and  60%  respectively.  The  sand  is 
then  conveyed  to  the  sand-leaching  tanks,  of  which  there 
are  20,  and  receives  a  treatment  in  these,  varying  from 
14  to  16  days,  during  which  time  a  recovery  of  values 
amounting  to  from  90  to  94^''  is  made.  The  separated 
shme  is  submitted  to  the  ordinary  slime  treatment  in 
20  steel  tanks,  where  a  recovery  of  values  equal  to  that 
made  in  the  sand  is  effected. 

It  should  be  said  that  the  cyanide  solution,  after  ex- 
tracting the  values  from  the  sand  and  slime,  is  directed 
to  flow  through  boxes  filled  with  zinc  shavings,  where  a 
precipitation  of  all  the  values  is  effected,  in  the  form 
of  an  impalpable  gold  and  silver  powder.  This  powder 
is  collected  and  melted  into  bars  and  sold. 

The  company  receives,  from  its  various  methods  of 
treatment  described,  about  85%  net  of  the  original 
values,  in  the  crude  ore  milled,  in  the  form  of  bankable 
funds. 

The  company  owning  and  operating  all  the  valuable 
properties  which  I  have  mentioned  in  the  earlier  portion 
of  this  chapter  is  naturally  a  stong  one,  financially 
speaking.  The  high  opinion  which  the  investing  public 
hold  of  the  Consolidated  Mining  and  Milling  Com- 
pany's stock  is  proved  by  the  price  at  which  the  shares 
of  $5.00  stand  to-day,  namely  $7.00,  or  nearly  50% 
prem. ;  while  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that,  from 
what  I  have  seen  of  the  mine  of  Sirena,  and  from  what  I 
know  of  the  management  ( which  I  can  only  characterize 
as  efficient  in  the  highest  degree) ,  these  shares  are  worth 
$10.00  a  piece,  and  may  shortly  reach  that  figure. 


82  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

The  whole  authorized  capital  of  the  company  is  $3,- 
OOO.OOO.  divided  into  60,000  shares  of  $5.00  each.  There 
are  bonds  of  the  value  of  $300,000,  in  the  form  of  20 
year  7/t  sinking  fund  convertible  gold  debentures.  It 
may  also  be  observed  that  a  sufficient  amount  of  stock  is 
set  aside  for  the  redemption  of  the  bonds  as  they  mature. 

The  Board  of  Directors  is  a  small  one,  consisting  of 
four  members,  namely,  ^Ir.  Frederick  L.  Corning, 
President ;  Mr.  C.  V.  R.  Cogswell,  Secretary  and  Treas- 
urer; :SIr.  Robert  ^Mulford  and  Mr.  M.  E.  MacDonald. 
The  latter  gentleman,  to  whom  so  much  of  the  present 
success  of  the  company's  operations  is  due,  is  also  man- 
ager, while  his  equally  able  brother,  Mr.  Bernard  Mac- 
Donald,  is  the  consulting  engineer.  Mr.  John  S.  Butler 
is  the  chemist  and  metallurgist. 

The  company  has  already  commenced  to  pay  divi- 
dends, having  declared  a  quarterly  distribution  at  the 
rate  of  6%  per  annum.  Up  till  now,  the  company  has 
wisely  used  all  its  resources  for  thorough  development, 
and  to  place  in  a  perfect  condition  of  efficiency  its  valu- 
able ])roperties.  Henceforth  the  Consolidated  Alining 
and  Milling  Company  may  be  regarded  as  a  permanent 
occupant  of  the  dividend-paying  list  among  the  Mexican 
Mining  Companies. 


Chapter  VI. 


The  Guanajuato  Reduction  and  Mines  Company. — A  Group  of 
Historic  Mines  with  Romantic  Associations. — The  Stories  of 
the  Rayas  and  Valenciana. — Progress  of  the  Centuries. — Inter- 
ruption from  the  Revolution. — British  Possessions  Pass  Away. 
— Modern  Methods  and  Management. — How  the  Company 
was  Formed  and  Who  Formed  It. — Some  Tests  of  the  Re- 
sults.— Big  Profits  in  Sight. — Treating  the  Ores  on  the 
Dumps. — A  Plucky  and  Successful  Experiment. — The  Bustos 
Pipe  Line. — The  Company's  80-Stamp  Mill  and  Machinery. — 
Financial  Position  and  Management. 

THE  associations  connected  with  several  of  the 
properties  owned  by  the  Guanajuato  Reduction 
and  Mines  Company  render  their  position  a 
pecuharly  interesting  one,  apart  from  the  fact  that  their 
holdings  form  one  of  the  most  important  and  powerful 
groups  in  the  whole  district.  The  history  of  some  of 
these  celebrated  mines  is  practically  the  history  of  Gua- 
najuato (and  its  mining  industry)  itself. 

As  is  probably  well  understood,  in  view  of  various 
descriptions  given,  the  Mother  Lode  mines,  the  great 
majority  of  which  are  held  by  the  Reduction  &  Mines 
Co.,  are  divided  into  four  different  groups,  namely: 

The  Valenciana  Group,  comprising  the  Valenciana, 
the  Esperanza  and  the  Tepayac; 

The  Cata  Group,  comprising  the  Cata,  the  Secho,  the 
Maravillas,  the  San  Lorenzo  and  the  Avispero ; 

The  Mellado  Group,  comprising  Mellado  and  numer- 
ous annexes ; 

The  Rayas,  comprising  the  Rayas  and  its  annex  El 
Maguey. 

Page  83 


84  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

These  mines  are  the  principal  properties  belonging  to 
the  Reduction  and  Mines  Company,  but  in  addition 
they  possess  La  Union,  Nuestra  Senora  de  Guanajuato, 
El  Obrero  del  Porvenir,  and  La  Sorpresa.  Tiiis  last 
named  mine  was  added  to  the  company's  holdings  later 
on,  and  the  sum  of  $100,000  gold  (say  £20,000)  was 
paid  for  it. 

In  the  La  Luz  district  the  company  owns  a  large 
and  extremely  valuable  group  of  properties,  which  are 
located  on  the  La  Luz,  Rosario  and  other  subsidiary 
veins,  and  comprise  the  Purisima  with  its  annexes  Santo 
Nino  and  La  Palanca;  Rosario;  San  Francisco  de  Pili; 
San  Pedro  Gilmonea;  Emma;  Loreto;  Todos  Santos; 
San  Cayetano  and  Abundancia;  as  well  as  interests  in 
Asuncion  de  la  Navarra,  Independencia  and  Plateros, 
and  reversionary  rights  to  the  JNIejiamora.  A  huge  prop- 
erty adjoining  the  others  and  known  as  the  Americana 
has  also  been  purchased,  and  the  entire  property  on  the 
La  Luz  vein,  purchased  from  the  Rul  Estate  amounts 
to  a  length  of  7,000  feet. 

The  first  named  four  groups  are  all  situated  on  the 
outcrop  of  the  famous  Mother  Lode,  and  were  pur- 
chased from  the  Rul  Estate,  which  had  previously  pur- 
chased them  from  former  owners  or  their  representa- 
tives. It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  Valenciana, 
the  ^lellado  and  the  Tepayac  were  originally  tlie  prin- 
cij)al  Guanajuato  properties  of  the  Anglo-^NIexican 
Company,  while  the  Rayas,  the  Secho,  and  Cata  were 
among  the  holdings  of  the  United  Mexican  Company. 
Nearly  every  one  of  these  mines  has  a  history  of  great 
])n)ductions,  the  Valenciana  alone  having  a  recorded 
output  of  something  like  $300,000,000   (say  £00,000,- 


run 


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Riches  Bring  Honors  85 


000)  to  its  credit — an  almost  incredible  amount  for 
one  mine  to  have  yielded. 

Some  historians  declare  that  the  Guanajuato  mines, 
taken  as  a  whole,  have  produced  ores  to  the  value  of 
$1,350,000,000  (say  £270,000,000) ,  of  which  no  less  than 
$1,000,000,000  (£200,000,000)  came  from  the  Mother 
Lode  proper,  and  $350,000,000  (£70,000,000)  from  the 
mines  on  parallel  vein  systems,  situated  from  8  to  10 
miles  distant,  of  which  the  principal  one  is  La  Luz. 

The  early  discoverers  of  these  mines,  before  they 
passed  into  the  hands  of  the  two  British  Companies 
mentioned,  gained  fame  and  fortune  from  their  posses- 
sion. Thus,  Senor  Don  Jose  de  Sardaneta,  of  Legaspi, 
owner  of  the  Rayas  mine,  was  created  "Marquis  de 
Rayas;"  Senor  Francisco  Mathias  de  Bustos,  owner  of 
La  Cata  and  Secho,  became  Viscount  de  Duarte;  and 
Senor  Antonio  Obregon,  of  Alcocer,  discoverer  and 
owner  of  Valenciana,  became  Count  de  Valenciana.  In 
this  way  was  enterprise  rewarded  in  the  olden  days; 
somewhat  different  from  the  present  time,  when  suc- 
cessful mine  owners — from  South  Africa — are  de- 
nounced in  the  House  of  Commons  as  "thieves  and  slave 
owners"  and  the  shareholders  are  termed  "rascals,"  while 
the  Government  seeks  every  means  to  ruin  them. 

Romance  clings  with  astonishing  pertinacity  to  many 
of  these  Guanajuato  mines  to-day,  and  will  never  by  the 
natives,  at  least,  be  allowed  to  die  out.  For  instance, 
it  is  related  of  the  Rayas  mine  that  the  owner,  progenitor 
of  the  Marquis  aforesaid,  conceived  the  idea  of  carrying 
his  levels  forward  to  a  point  under  the  dip  of  the  Santa 
Anita  shoot,  which  was  worked  as  an  open  cut.  The  old 
man  dreamed  of  his  great  mine  night  after  night,  but 


86  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

dying  before  he  could  accomplish  his  great  object  he 
enjoined  his  son  and  successor  on  his  death  bed  to  carry 
out  his  scheme,  j)r()pliecying  that  he  Mould  succeed  and 
"discover  even  greater  riches  and  honors." 

The  prophecy  was  verified  at  first,  for  the  Rayas  mine 
became  one  of  the  most  celebrated  in  the  whole  Guana- 
juato district;  and  put  enormous  wealth  into  the  hands 
of  the  new  owner  of  the  property. 

However,  the  prophecy  was  only  fulfilled  in  part. 
The  riches  had  come — and  gone,  but  the  honors  still  re- 
mained in  the  future.  Convinced  that  his  venerable 
father  was  inspired  on  his  death  bed  and  that  he  could 
not  possibly  be  mistaken,  the  younger  Legaspi  persisted 
in  carrj'^ing  on  the  work  of  development  to  the  south- 
east. He  met  with  the  ordinary  experience  of  men  who, 
since  the  time  of  iEsop,  find  many  willing  to  advise  one 
to  "go  on"  and  others  who  implore  one  to  "stop."  It  was 
the  case  of  the  "old  man  and  the  ass"  over  again.  Only 
Legaspi  knew  what  he  was  doing,  and  he  proceeded  to 
do  it.  He  persevered;  and  in  due  course  of  time  his 
efforts  were  rewarded  by  the  discovery  of  a  second 
"bonanza,"  the  riches  coming  from  the  shaft  of  San 
]Miguel.  Xow,  again,  rose  the  fortunes  of  the  Sardaneta 
y  Legaspi  family,  and  on  this  occasion  the  second  part 
of  the  old  man's  prophecy  came  true,  for  the  King  of 
Spain  made  the  Rayas  owner  "^larquis  de  Rayas" — 
for  a  small  consideration — and  an  enduring  monument 
to  the  great  man  exists  to-day  in  the  form  of  a  magnifi- 
cent building  erected  on  the  mine,  with  flying  buttresses 
and  a  sculi)tured  portal  surmounted  by  a  beautifully- 
carved  statuette  of  the  Archangel  ^lichael  ("prince  of 
celestial  iXrmies,"  as  Milton  called  him)  and  tutelar 
Saint  of  this  part  of  the  mine. 


Valenciana  Church  87 

The  Valenciana,  with  such  a  magnificent  record, 
naturally  is  not  deficient  in  historical  interest.  In  this 
case  it  deals  with  one  Antonio  Obregon,  a  Spaniard  of 
great  piety  but  with  a  keen  appreciation  of  the  good 
things  of  the  world,  and  who,  after  vainly  searching  for 
some  good  pay  ore,  one  day  came  across  a  poor  and 
helpless  individual,  who,  in  return  for  certain  kindnesses 
and  benefactions,  promised  Obregon  assistance  in  locat- 
ing a  rich  strike.  In  due  course  his  promise  was  re- 
deemed, much  to  the  surprise  and  let  us  hope  the  material 
appreciation,  of  the  Spaniard,  since  he  became  thereby 
the  richest  man  in  the  world  at  that  time.  His  great 
piety  found  further  expression  in  the  construction  of 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  churches  ever  built  by  an 
individual.  He  began  it  in  1765  and  completed  it  in 
1785,  the  total  cost  being  $1,000,000,  or,  say,  £200,000. 
Nothing  can  exceed  the  costliness  of  the  altars  and  their 
furnishings,  and  the  Valenciana  church,  admirably  pre- 
served and  most  piously  regarded  by  all  Mexicans,  re- 
mains the  finest  show  place  in  Guanajuato — nay,  in 
Mexico — to-day. 

In  the  year  1700,  more  than  30  reduction  works  were 
in  operation  at  Guanajuato,  with  a  total  capacity  of  500 
tons  a  day.  Records  exist  which  prove  that  progress  in 
the  18th  century  was  rapid,  the  mint,  a  pretty  accurate 
index,  showing  that  the  yearly  increase  was  considerable. 
During  the  first  years  of  the  new  century  the  precious 
metals  mined  in  Mexico  amounted  approximately  to 
$10,000,000  a  year.  By  the  end  of  the  century  this  had 
increased  to  an  annual  production  of  $23,000,000.  This 
sum  represented  two-thirds  of  the  world's  production  of 
silver  during  that  period.    From  1760  to  1810  Guana- 


88  Meocico's  Treasure-House 


juato  contributed  30%  of  the  entire  Mexican  produc- 
tion and  20' < — or  one-fifth — of  the  entire  world's  out- 
put of  silver. 

The  century  was  only  10  years  old  when  revolution 
came  stalking  into  jNIexico,  and  from  that  time  the  mines 
— especially  those  of  Guanajuato  where  the  first  echoes 
of  revolt  made  tliemselves  heard — commenced  to  suffer. 
As  the  great  majority  of  the  mine  owners  and  operators 
were  on  the  side  of  the  Government — believing  that  in 
the  end  it  must  win  and  having  naturally  a  keen  eye  for 
their  own  interests — the  revolutionists  had  no  mercy 
upon  them  and  their  properties,  which  were  destroyed 
right  and  left,  their  workmen  likewise  being  carried 
away  as  recruits,  willing  and  otherwise.  The  out-put 
fell  from  $5,000,000  in  1810  to  $1,000,000  in  1820.  For 
fifteen  years  this  condition  of  things  prevailed,  when 
an  improvement  commenced  to  manifest  itself.  It  was 
at  this  time  that  the  two  British  companies  (the  Anglo- 
Mexican  and  the  United  ^lexican)  already  referred  to 
came  upon  the  scene  and  managed  to  buy  up  the  half- 
ruined  properties  at  a  very  low  price,  and  being  wel- 
comed by  the  impoverished  Government  as  the  har- 
bingers of  fresh  foreign  capital — so  sorely  needed,  since 
the  country  had  but  little  of  its  own. 

Among  the  very  wealthiest  of  the  Spanish  residents 
in  ^Mexico  was  the  Rul  family,  which  had  for  a  hundred 
and  fift\^  years  been  amassing  property  in  the  Guana- 
juato District,  until  they  had  collected  properties  cover- 
ing more  than  8,500  feet  of  the  ^lother  Vein.  ]Many,  if 
not  most,  of  these  mines  had  been  leased  by  the  Rul 
family  to  British  companies,  and  they,  therefore,  em- 
ployed the  funds  paid  to  them  for  these  by  taking  up 


Lack  of  Cheap  Power  89 


other  claims  on  the  La  Luz  veins,  which  for  200  years 
had  lain  dormant  in  favom*  of  the  Mother  Vein.  The 
history  and  experiences  of  the  La  Luz  district  will  be 
found  more  fully  commented  upon  under  Chapter  XII, 
dealing  with  the  Guanajuato  Amalgamated  Gold  Mines 
Company. 

At  the  time  that  matters  were  first  brought  to  the 
attention  of  the  Reduction  and  Mines  Company,  all  of 
the  properties  of  the  Mother  Vein,  excepting  the  Cata, 
and  all  of  the  properties  at  La  Luz,  were  filled  with 
water  and  had  been  practically  abandoned.  The  Cata 
had  been  unwatered  to  the  800  foot  level,  but  was  being 
worked  in  a  hand-to-mouth  fashion  by  a  few  "buscones" 
under  most  disadvantageous  circumstances.  The  dis- 
trict, in  general,  was  poverty-stricken  to  the  last  degree, 
as  practically  no  mining  work  was  going  on  and  the  min- 
ing population  was,  in  a  large  degree,  either  at  the  point 
of  starvation  or  was  emigrating  to  other  camps.  The 
utmost  discouragement  prevailed  throughout  the  dis- 
trict, but  at  this  very  moment  a  deus  ex  machina  ap- 
peared in  the  form  of  Mr.  Leonard  E.  Curtis.  This 
gentleman,  who  was  a  lawyer,  whose  life  work  had  been 
with  the  electric  companies,  came  to  Guanajuato  in 
1902  to  investigate  certain  legal  titles  pertaining  to 
mines  controlled  by  Mr.  George  W.  McElhiney,  but, 
having  a  good  deal  of  time  on  his  hands,  he  and  Mr.  Mc- 
Elhiney made  a  thorough  reconnaissance  of  the  district. 
The  enormous  masses  of  wastes  produced  by  ancient 
workings  impressed  him  greatly,  and  he  soon  became 
convinced  of  Mr.  McElhiney's  views  that  the  principal 
cause  for  the  moribund  condition  of  the  district  was  the 
lack  of  available  and  cheap  power.  So  convinced  was  he 


90  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

of  this,  that  upon  his  return  to  the  United  States  he  made 
a  startling  proposition  to  certain  friends  that  they  should 
expend  something-  over  a  million  dollars  in  bringing 
several  thousand  horse-power  to  a  camp  which,  at  the 
time,  was  using  none  and  was,  to  all  intents  and  pur- 
poses, completely  dead. 

His  faith  in  the  future,  however,  was  contagious,  and 
resulted  ultimately  in  the  establishment  of  the  Guana- 
juato Power  and  Electric  Company,  whose  first  in- 
stalled unit  was  capable  of  delivering  3,500  horse  power 
into  Guanajuato.  This  power-plant  was  opened  in 
November,  1903,  and  is  fully  described  under  the  head 
of  Chapter  XIV. 

During  this  same  time,  two  energetic  young  Ameri- 
cans, ^Ir.  George  W.  McElhiney  and  Mr.  George  W. 
Bryant,  had  been  extremely  busy  in  getting  together  the 
large  old  mine  holdings  of  the  Mother  Vein,  and  plac- 
ing them  in  such  legal  form  that  a  commercial  consoli- 
dation could  be  effected.  Having  done  this,  the  pro- 
ject was  presented  to  ]Mr.  George  A.  Beaton,  of  New 
York,  who  forthwith  despatched  to  Guanajuato,  to 
make  preliminary  examinations,  Prof.  R.  T.  Hill,  one 
of  the  best-known  geologists  of  the  United  States  Geo- 
logical Survey,  with  a  corps  of  able  assistants.  ^Ir. 
Charles  L.  Kurtz,  now  the  President  of  the  Guanajuato 
Reduction  and  Mines  Company,  was  also  sent  by  Mr. 
Beaton  to  look  over  the  general  situation. 

Mr.  C.  W.  Van  Law  accompanied  Mr.  Kurtz  in  Sep- 
tember of  1903  for  a  preliminary  look-over  the  situa- 
tion, coming  again  in  November  of  the  same  year,  when 
immediately  upon  his  return  to  New  York  a  large  staff 
for  sampling  and  surveying  purposes  was  collected  to- 


Testing  the  Dumps  91 


gether,  and  from  100  to  200  men  were  told  off  to  do  the 
sampling  work.  The  enormous  quantity  of  the  dumps 
resulting  from  past  workings  and  their  reputed  work- 
able grade  at  once  formed  the  principal  point  of  attack 
in  the  investigation,  since,  could  these  stores  be  treated 
at  a  profit,  there  would  be  provided  a  sufficient  founda- 
tion for  a  large  enterprise,  leaving  the  mines  themselves 
to  follow  as  a  secondary  consideration. 

As  a  consequence  of  the  investigation,  shafts  were 
sunk  through  all  the  principal  dumps  to  the  original 
ground  surface  underneath,  and  hundreds  of  samples 
were  taken,  weighing  from  500  to  2,000  pounds  each,  to 
determine  the  grade  of  the  dumps.  From  the  depths  of 
the  shafts  and  the  contours  of  the  ground  surface  under- 
neath resulting,  the  quantities  of  the  dumps  could  also 
be  accurately  estimated.  At  the  same  time,  sampling- 
investigation  was  pursued  in  the  Cata  mine  and  such 
portions  as  were  available  of  the  other  mines,  and  it  soon 
became  evident  that,  leaving  out  of  account  any  question 
of  mine-ore  from  the  vein  proper,  there  was  at  least  as 
much  available  material  lying  as  "fillings"  in  the  old 
stopes  under  ground  as  there  was  on  the  dumps. 

All  this,  however,  would  have  been  useless  without  a 
metallurgical  process  which  would  economically  and  ef- 
fectively extract  the  values  from  the  ores.  A  five-stamp 
mill  was  leased  in  the  outskirts  of  the  town :  the  services 
of  Mr.  F.  J.  Hobson,  who  is  one  of  the  best-known 
silver-cyaniding  chemists  of  the  world,  were  secured  to 
conduct  the  tests,  and  a  large  number  of  mill-runs  were 
made  on  a  practical  scale  from  the  dumps.  The  results 
were  more  than  satisfactory.  It  was  easily  demon- 
strated that  there  was,  as  a  minimum,  $1.00  (U.  S.  Cy.) 


92  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

a  ton  profit  in  some  two  million  tons  of  dump  ore  already- 
mined  and  on  tlie  surface,  and  not  less  than  $1.50  per 
ton  profit  from  the  waste  fillings  under-ground,  aggre- 
gating another  milhon  tons.  There  was  the  strongest 
reason  to  believe  that  the  old  mines,  instead  of  being  ex- 
hausted, might  be  counted  upon  to  yield  again  a  very 
large  production  of  grade  which  would  result  in  most 
handsome  profits. 

Under  these  conditions,  options  for  the  properties 
were  quickly  closed,  and  without  waiting  for  the  ex- 
piration of  the  time  of  the  options'  final  payments,  these 
were  anticipated  by  about  18  months,  and  all  of  the 
properties  taken  over  were  paid  for  in  cash.  In  order 
to  assure  the  dip  of  the  vein  to  much  greater  depths  than 
they  had  before  been  worked,  additional  properties  were 
also  secured,  ])oth  at  I^a  Luz  and  on  the  Mother  Vein, 
which  would  allow  of  the  working  of  the  latter  to  about 
5,000  feet,  practically  throughout  the  length  of  the 
holdings  of  this  company. 

In  February  of  1905,  a  thoroughly  energetic  and 
comprehensive  construction  program  was  commenced. 
A  150  horse-power  compressor  was  installed  upon  the 
Cata  mine  with  its  complement  of  air  drills,  with  which 
new  levels  were  commenced  below  the  old  workings  and 
driven  as  rapidly  as  possible,  and  with  most  gratifying 
results.  A  considerable  flow  of  water  having  been  en- 
countered, large  electric  pumps  were  likewise  installed 
in  the  Cata  mine,  and  the  unwatering  from  the  Cata  of 
the  Tepayac  mine  was  accomplished;  the  unwatering  of 
the  Rayas  and  Mellado  mines  in  tlic  same  manner  is  now 
proceeding.  Plans  have  been  completed  for  a  1,000-ton 
mill  to  be  located  at  Bustos  Hacienda,  right  at  the  shaft 


(.lANA.HA  i()   Kr.Dic  I'lox   AM)   Mim:s  Company. 

Iiiti-riur  \  ii-w  ot  j)r<(i|iit;iliiiii'  phiiit.  c-ontainiiiix  (ittctii  zinc  hoxrs  li;iviii<r  six 

c-oiup.irliiuuK.  f.icli  1  V  t  ^  .')  ti'c'l. 

Plate  19.]  [Si-c  i)agf  9!». 


(  ilAN  A.ir  AK  >     1{  r.Dl   (    I  ION     AND     M  I  M  ,S    ( '( (M  1' A  N  ^^ 
Sand  Iracliiiii;  tallU^.  with  sliiiic  tanks  in  l)ackjj,r<>un(l.  sliouinir  sands  under 


tnatincnt. 


Plate  2n.\ 


IS.-.-pafref)!*. 


A  Daring  Experiment  93 

of  the  Cata  mine  and  at  a  point  central  to  the  entire 
system,  where  easy  railroad  transportation  from  all 
the  properties  can  be  secured. 

In  order  to  thoroughly  demonstrate  on  a  working- 
scale  the  practicability  of  treating  these  ores,  it  was  de- 
cided to  install  one-quarter  of  the  ultimate  unit  im- 
mediately, deferring  the  completion  of  the  full  unit  until 
this  had  been  run  for  three  or  four  months.  During 
the  construction  of  the  mill,  however,  a  five-stamp  unit 
was  kept  running  constantly,  making  cyaniding  tests 
of  the  ores  from  the  various  mines  of  the  company,  with 
such  results  that  the  cyaniding  question  in  all  of  its  de- 
tails was  settled  before  the  completion  of  the  present 
unit,  and  active  preparations  are  now  under  way  to  pro- 
ceed with  the  increased  capacity. 

The  position  of  the  Bustos  mill  site,  in  a  narrow  valley 
with  little  flow  of  water  to  carry  off  the  residues,  made 
necessary  a  somewhat  daring  experiment,  that  of  sepa- 
rating the  crushing  and  concentrating  portion  of  the 
plant  by  a  distance  of  nearly  a  mile  from  the  cyanide 
plant,  which  could  be  located  on  the  main  stream  of  the 
district  where  there  is  always  sufficient  water  to  carry 
away  residue  or  tailings  discharged.  Against  practi- 
cally the  unanimous  opinion  of  all  visiting  engineers 
who  were  consulted,  it  was  decided  to  carry  the  ores, 
after  they  had  been  crushed  and  concentrated,  through  a 
small  cast-iron  pipe,  laid  with  uniform  grade,  from  the 
Bustos  mill  to  the  cyanide  plant  situated  in  the  heart  of 
the  city,  utilizing  simply  the  flow  of  the  water  in  which 
the  ore  was  crushed,  due  to  the  gravitation  of  the  pipe. 
As  the  grade  available  was  only  21/4%  it  was  believed  by 
almost  every  one  that  the  sand  could  not  be  carried,  and 


9.4  Mexico's  Treasure-Hoiise 


that  the  pipe  would  inevitably  be  choked  and  stopped 
up.  Certain  experiments  were  made  upon  this  matter 
which  caused  the  company  to  proceed  with  their  con- 
struction on  the  original  lines  indicated. 

The  plants  were  started  ]March  1,  190G,  and  have  been 
in  constant  operation,  24  hours  a  day,  since  that  time. 
The  pipe  line,  which  was  looked  upon  with  so  much  fear 
by  visitors,  demonstrated  at  once  that  not  only  was 
there  no  danger  of  stoppage  but  that  it  would  actually 
carry  several  times  the  volume  of  pulp  treated  with 
perfect  ease,  and  with  much  less  water  than  is  normally 
used  in  the  mere  crushing  and  concentrating  of  ores. 
In  fact,  before  the  normal  stamp-mill  pulp,  coming 
from  the  concentrators,  is  introduced  into  such  pipe  hne, 
the  company,  by  means  of  large  settling  cones,  are 
removing  something  like  50%  of  the  water  and  return- 
ing it  immediately  for  mill  use,  the  pulp  flowing 
through  a  mile  of  8-inch  cast-iron  pipe  without  experi- 
encing the  slightest  difficulty,  thus  effecting  the  trans- 
portation of  250  tons  of  ore  per  day,  for  the  distance  of 
a  mile  through  the  heart  of  a  crowded  city,  and  this 
without  a  cent  of  expense.  The  pipe  being,  in  general, 
buried  throughout  a  considerable  distance  of  its  length, 
requires  no  expensive  maintenance  or  inspection,  and  the 
right  of  way  for  such  a  line  was,  naturally,  but  a  small 
fraction  of  what  would  have  been  necessary  for  any 
other  means  of  transportation  possible. 

The  ore  is  brought  from  the  Cata  mine  in  4-ton  gable- 
bottom  cars  to  a  large  bin  above  the  crushing  plant,  in 
which  plant  the  ore  is  double-crushed  to  'Yi"  cube  by 
gyratory  crushers,  sorting  likewise  taking  place  on  a 
sorting  belt.  The  crushed  ore  is  conveyed  and  elevated  bj^ 


The  Mechanical  Treatment  95 

a  travelling  belt  and  distributed  into  the  steel  bin  of  the 
mill  structure,  which  bin  has  a  capacity  of  2500  tons  of 
crushed  ore.  The  ore  is  then  passed  through  "Challenge" 
feeders  to  the  eighty  (1050  lbs.)  stamps,  Allis-Chal- 
mers  pattern,  making  one  hundred  7^2  drops  per 
minute.  The  mortar  is  of  extra  heavy  "El  Oro"  type, 
weighing  9000  lbs.,  with  extra  broad  base  directly  bolted 
to  heavy  concrete  piers. 

The  30-mesh  pulp  from  the  batteries  goes  to  Wilfley 
tables,  of  which  there  are  24  in  the  mill,  such  tables 
having  no  elevators,  the  middlings,  instead,  being  gath- 
ered at  two  common  points  in  the  mill,  and  elevated  for 
regrinding  in  an  Abbe  tube-mill,  this  being  re-handled 
over  special  Wilfleys  before  joining  the  tailings  from 
the  balance  of  the  tables  in  a  concrete  launder  running 
through  the  centre  of  the  concentrator-room.  This 
launder  delivers  into  a  tunnel  which  conveys  the  pulp  to 
a  cone-house  where,  in  two  steel  cones,  20  feet  in  dia- 
meter, a  portion  of  the  water  is  removed  and  returned 
for  re-use  in  the  mill.  From  the  cone-house,  the  pipe 
line  above  mentioned  conducts  the  pulp  to  the  cyanide 
plant,  where  a  classification  into  sands  and  slimes  is  ef- 
fected by  a  double  cone  system,  the  sands  being  received 
through  Butters'  distributors  into  either  of  two  receiv- 
ing tanks,  and,  after  draining,  discharged  through  6- 
bottom  discharge  gates  in  each  tank  upon  conveyor 
belts,  which  elevate  and  convey  the  sands  over  the  top 
of  a  line  of  40  ft.  by  8  ft.  leach  tanks,  into  which  the 
sand  is  showered  by  a  special  distributing  tripper  and 
handled  by  ordinary  leaching  process  with  12-day  leach 
time. 


96  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

The  overflows  from  all  classifying  cones  pass  over  a 
trap  to  eliminate  any  sands  which  may  have  escaped, 
the  slimes  being  conducted  to  36'  x  12'  agitating- tanks, 
and  treatment  effected  by  agitation  and  decantation. 
The  agitation  is  by  means  of  mechanical  arms  supple- 
mented by  6"  ^Meese  &  Godfried  centrifugal  pumps. 
After  the  final  wash  in  the  slimes  tanks,  the  slimes  are 
pumped  into  high  settling-tanks,  where  a  final  settling 
and  decantation  takes  place  before  discharge.  All  de- 
canted solutions  pass  through  sand  filter  tanks  before 
entering  the  zinc  room. 

The  zinc  room  contains  15  steel  zinc  boxes,  of  6  com- 
partments each,  each  compartment  being  4'  x  4'  x  3'.  At 
"clean-up,"  the  precipitate  is  flushed  through  a  hopper- 
bottom  of  each  compartment  into  steel  launders  to  a 
central  sump,  being  thence  pumped  through  a  Johnson 
filter  press,  and,  later,  briquetted  in  combination  with 
fluxes  and  melted  directly  into  bars.  No  acid  treatment 
is  given,  as  nothing  which  will  not  pass  a  60-mesh  screen 
is  sent  into  the  filter  press,  all  coarser  than  this  being  re- 
turned to  the  zinc  boxes.  The  ores  consist  of  clean, 
white  quartz  containing  a  small  percentage  of  iron  py- 
rite  and  silver  in  the  form  of  argentite,  without  any 
other  base  in  the  ore. 

Owing  to  the  very  large  tonnage  of  material  actually 
in  sight,  the  system  of  construction  followed  has  been 
rather  unusual,  the  mill  structures  throughout  being  of 
steel,  wood  only  being  used  for  the  floors  and  similar 
purposes.  The  masonry  foundations  over  the  entire 
plant  are  extremely  massive,  and  the  whole  has  been 
built  with  the  idea  of  securing  a  minimum  operating  cost 


r 


Financial  Resources  97 

and  maintenance  through  a  period  of  activity  which 
will  extend  over  a  good  many  years. 

The  operation  returns  for  the  month  of  March,  1906, 
lately  completed,  evidence  that  the  metallurgical  extrac- 
tions upon  which  the  company's  original  plans  were 
based  will  not  only  be  reached  but  exceeded,  and  the 
operation  costs,  even  at  this  early  day,  it  can  be  said  with 
certainty,  will  be  less  than  the  costs  which  have  been 
figured  on  in  all  preliminary  estimates.  Whereas  the 
original  promotion  of  the  company's  enterprise  was 
purely  on  the  basis  of  low-grade  dump  handling,  the 
mine  developments  have  been  such  that  the  dump 
question  is  of  less  and  less  importance,  and  it  becomes 
evident  that,  with  a  reasonable  time  for  mine  develop- 
ment, the  mines  will  be  perfectly  able  to  carry  the 
whole  enterprise  with  a  correspondingly  much  larger 
basis  of  profit. 

The  financial  condition  of  the  Guanajuato  Reduction 
and  Mines  Company  is  an  indisputably  sound  one,  the 
affairs  of  the  concern  being  in  the  hands  of  a  Board  of 
Directors  many  of  whom  are  distinguished  financiers 
and  recognized  commercial  authorities.  The  following 
statement  of  resources  and  liabilities  made  up  to  the  end 
of  last  year  (1905)  will  show  the  precise  position  of  this 
company: 


98  Meanco's  Treasure-Uouse 


Resources. 

Property  Rights  and  Franchises $8,747,442.34 

Unsold  Bonds  in  Treasury 569,472.45 

Machinery,  Tools  and  Equipment 15,266.34 

Materials  and  Supplies 75,327.89 

Furniture  and  Fixtures 6,956.62 

Organization   53,237-39 

Construction    304,863.51 

^Nline   Development 80,636.88 

Accounts  receivable 166,953.76 

Cash  on  hand 58,300.71 

$10,078,457.89 
Liabilities. 

Capital    Stock $7,500,000.00 

Bond  Issue: 

Outstanding  bonds.  . 
$1,930,527.55 

Unsold  bonds  in  hands 
of    the     American 
Industrial     Devel- 
opment    Company 

$569,472.45       2,500,000.00 

Accounts  payable...  36,018.74 

Misc.   Receipts 39,066.24 

^Mexican  currency  ad- 
justment —  U.  S. 
Cur  rency  equiva- 
lent @  200 3,372.91 

$10,078,457.89 


The  Company's  Officers  99 


The  capital  stock  of  the  Guanajuato  Reduction  and 
Mines  Co.,  as  will  be  observed,  is  $7,500,000,  to  which 
must  be  added  bonds  of  20  years'  life,  and  bearing  inter- 
est at  the  rate  of  6  per  cent.,  bringing  the  total  capitali- 
zation up  to  $10,500,000.  The  bond  issue  in  circulation 
at  present  is  $2,500,000,  and  the  additional  $500,000  of 
bonds  will  only  be  issued  after  the  expiration  of  two 
years  from  the  date  of  the  mortgage,  and  then  only  for 
the  purpose  of  providing  funds  for  the  purchase  of 
additional  property  or  to  pay  for  increase  or  improve- 
ment of  the  company's  plant.  The  Board  of  Directors 
is  as  follows :  Charles  L.  Kurtz,  Columbus,  Ohio ;  John 
S.  Bartlett,  Boston,  Mass. ;  Leonard  E.  Curtis,  Colorado 
Springs,  Colo. ;  Samuel  M.  HamiU,  Schenectady,  N.  Y. ; 
Henry  Hine,  Colorado  Springs,  Colo. ;  Leon  O.  Bailey, 
New  York  City;  Clement  A.  Griscom,  Jr.,  New  York 
City;  George  B.  Cox,  Cincinnati,  Ohio;  Carlos  W.  Van 
Law,  Guanajuato,  Mexico. 

The  various  high  offices  in  the  Company  are  filled  by 
the  following  gentlemen:  Charles  L.  Kurtz,  President; 
Leonard  E.  Curtis,  Vice-President ;  Henry  Hine,  Vice- 
President;  Clement  A.  Griscom,  Jr.,  Vice-President; 
Charles  F.  Dowd,  Secretary  and  Treasurer;  LeRoy 
Parker,  Auditor ;  Frederick  W.  Stehr,  Assistant  Treas- 
urer; Martin  F.  Turner,  Assistant  Secretary;  Leon  O. 
Bailey,  Counsel;  Carlos  W.  Van  Law,  General  Man- 
ager; Pablo  Martinez  del  Bio,  Counsel  at  Mexico  City; 
Carlos  Robles,  Counsel  at  Guanajuato  and  Pope  Yeat- 
man,  Consulting  Engineer. 


Chapter  VII. 

The  Story  of  the  Guanajuato  Development  Co. — Methods  of 
Financing  and  Assisting  Promising  Properties. — A  Mutual 
System  of  Profit-Earning. — The  Securities  Corporation's  Po- 
sition.— The  Guanajuato  Representatives. — The  Various 
Properties  Described. — Their  Early  Development. — The  Work 
Carried  out  and  the  Results  Achieved. — The  Pinguico. — 
Ricliest  Ore  in  the  District. — The  Cedro  Group. — Former 
Workers  Neglected  Great  Opportunities. — Valuable  Ores  and 
their  Treatment. 

THE  Guanajuato  Development  Company  is  an 
American  Corporation,  formed  in  the  State  of 
New  Jerse}'  for  the  purpose  of  acquiring 
properties  in  the  Guanajuato  ^Mining  District,  devel- 
oping them  sufficiently  to  prove  their  value,  and,  sub- 
sequently, offering  them  for  purchase  to  other  compa- 
nies or  organizing  subsidiary  companies  upon  them  with 
sufficient  capital  to  work  them  thoroughly.  These  prop- 
erties are  taken  up  on  lease  with  an  option  to  purchase 
the  same  outright,  which  affords  an  opportunity  for  the 
subsidiar}^  company  to  prove  the  value  of  any  property 
before  actually  taking  it  over. 

The  first  operations  of  the  Development  Co.  were  to 
secure  the  right  to  purchase  three  mining  properties  and 
one  ranch,  all  being  situated  in  the  district  of  Guanajua- 
to. The  capital  of  this  company,  which  is  $1,000,000 
(U.  S.  Cy.)  preferred  and  $3,000,000  common  stock,  is 
devoted  practically  entirely  to  making  first  payments 
upon  such  properties  as  it  may  take  over,  and  to  defray 
their  initial  development  expenses,  so  that  it  may  be  re- 

Pagfi  100 


Guanajuato  Development  Company 101 

garded,  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  as  an  "exploration" 
as  well  as  a  development  company. 

Being  controlled,  as  it  is,  by  men  of  great  experience 
and  with  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  Guanajuato 
Camp,  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  very  few 
mistakes  are  made  in  the  selection  of  properties.  It  is 
also  worthy  of  note  that,  in  disposing  of  its  holdings,  the 
parent  Development  Company  asks  for  no  cash  profit, 
being  willing  to  accept  therefor  a  common-stock  repre- 
sentation in  addition  to  the  amount  of  actual  cash  which 
it  may  have  expended  either  for  the  acquisition  of  the 
properties  or  for  their  preliminary  development.  Thus 
the  interests  of  the  Guanajuato  Development  Co.,  and 
the  newly  launched  enterprise,  to  which  it  disposes  of  its 
interests,  are  mutual.  For  its  future  profits,  the  Devel- 
opment Co.  looks  to  its  offspring,  and  is  willing  to 
share  with  them  whatever  success  they  may  achieve,  re- 
ceiving in  common  with  other  shareholders  the  dividends 
which  are  paid  on  the  ordinary  stock  of  such  subsidiary 
companies.  No  greater  amount  of  confidence  in  the 
value  of  the  properties  of  which  it  disposes  could  be  de- 
monstrated; in  a  word,  the  Development  Company 
agrees  to  "sink"  or  "swim"  with  the  purchasers  of  its 
holdings,  whose  well-being  Is  its  well-being  likewise. 

The  Securities  Corporation,  Ltd.,  is  a  powerful  Amer- 
ican Co.,  and  was  responsible  for  the  development  and 
eventual  flotation  of  the  famous  Peregrina  Mine.  It 
was  also  due  to  this  Corporation  that  the  Guanajuato 
Development  Co.  was  brought  into  existence.  The  home 
of  The  Securities  Corj^oration,  Ltd.,  is  in  New  York 
(40  Wall  street) ,  and  it  also  has  representatives  located 
in  most  of  the  large  cities  of  the  United  States.    All  of 


102  Mexico's  Treasure-IIouse 

the  officers  are  men  of  considerable  experience  and  un- 
doubted standing  in  their  respective  communities,  being 
in  close  touch  with  the  investing  public,  and  well  able  to 
form  an  accurate  judgment  as  to  the  position  and 
future  possibilities  of  the  different  properties  which 
they  handle. 

It  is  notable  that  these  representatives  receive  no 
stated  salaries,  their  remuneration  taking  the  form  of 
a  commission  resultant  upon  the  sale  of  those  securi- 
ties which  are  taken  up,  and  subsequently  redisposed 
of,  by  The  Securities  Corporation,  Ltd.  This  com- 
pany, likewise,  offers  securities  for  sale,  and  adopts  the 
very  novel  and  sensible  method  of  inviting  its  agents 
and  representatives  to  personally  visit  the  properties 
which  it  is  proposed  to  sell  to  them.  Prospective  pur- 
chasers are  in  this  way  afforded  every  opportunity  to  ex- 
amine such  properties,  and  personally  see  for  themselves 
ever}i:hing  which  is  claimed  for  them.  All  possible  date 
and  information  are  given,  and  nothing  but  the  utmost 
frankness  is  practised,  so  that  there  can  be  nothing  in 
future  for  the  corporation  to  reproach  itself  with, 
should  any  unforeseen  circumstances  militate  against  the 
success  of  the  undertaking.  It  is  not  in  mortals  to  com- 
mand success,  as  Addison  tells  us,  but  they  can  do  more 
and  deserve  it;  that  is  a  dictum  recognised  and  acted 
upon  by  all  legitimate  enterprises,  among  which  The  Se- 
curities Corporation,  Ltd.,  may  undoubtedly  take  rank. 

In  Guanajuato  The  Securities  Corporation,  Ltd., 
and  the  Guanajuato  Development  Co.  are  represented 
by  Messrs.  IMcElhiney  and  Bryant,  both  of  whom  for  a 
decade  past  have  made  a  close  and  careful  study  of 
Mexico,  and  especially  of  Guanajuato,  as  a  field  for  in- 


/.    -2 

.•^       tJD 


Four  Valuable  Properties  103 

vestment.  Although  the  word  of  these  gentlemen  would 
be  accepted  without  demur,  and  their  judgment  respect- 
ed by  the  majority  of  investors,  The  Securities  Corpo- 
ration, Ltd.,  has  deemed  it  desirable  to  further  strength- 
en its  individual  recommendations  by  employing  other 
independent  mining  engineers  upon  all  of  the  properties 
which  Messrs.  McElhiney  and  Bryant  call  to  their  at- 
tention. This  was  the  method  adopted  in  regard  to  the 
Peregrina  Mine,  referred  to  later  on,  and  which  is 
one  of  the  properties  which  are  to-day  proving  in 
every  respect  as  valuable  as  the  preliminary  reports 
made  upon  them  by  independent  experts,  as  well  as  by 
Messrs.  McElhiney  and  Bryant,  represented  them  to  be. 
A  similar  method  of  procedure  will  be  adopted  in  re- 
gard to  all  the  properties  which  the  corporation  will 
offer  for  sale  from  time  to  time. 

There  are,  at  the  present  time,  four  properties  in  partic- 
ular of  which  I  would  desire  to  speak,  viz. :  El  Pinguico, 
El  Cedro,  La  Central  and  the  San  Isidro  Ranch,  but  be- 
fore proceeding  to  describe  these  various  holdings  I 
would  say  that  I  have  visited  one  and  all  personally  and, 
therefore,  do  not  write  from  mere  hearsay  or  accept 
without  further  question  the  high  opi-nions  which  have 
been  passed  upon  them  by  others.  Inasmuch  as  these 
properties  are  likely  to  be  offered  at  no  distant  day  in 
the  form  of  investment,  either  in  the  United  States  or 
Great  Britain — and  most  probably  in  both  conjointly — 
I  propose  reviewing  them  in  more  or  less  detail. 

Pinguico. — The  word  "pinguico"  in  Spanish  means 
a  certain  class  of  shrub  that  grows  prolifically  in  Mexico. 
The  property  so  named  comprises  several  mining  claims, 
namely:    El  Pinguico,  Ampliacion  del  Pinguico  and 


104  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

San  Jose,  having  a  total  superficial  area  of  121  acres. 
The  claims  were  practically  unknown  at  the  time  of  their 
being  acquired  by  Messrs.  McElhiney  and  Brj^ant  in 
1900.  They  were  taken  over  not  on  account  of  any  par- 
ticular mineral  outcrop  on  their  surface,  but  because,  in 
an  adjoining  property,  a  xeiy  rich  vein  had  been  dis- 
covered, which,  if  continuous,  would  almost  certainly 
lead  directly  into  the  claims  of  the  Pinguico  group. 
This  step,  therefore,  showed  great  foresight  and  discern- 
ment upon  the  part  of  ^Messrs.  ]McElhiney  and  Bryant, 
whose  prevision  has  since  been  abundantly  justified  by 
subsequent  events.  At  the  time  that  the  Pinguico  prop- 
erties were  secured  by  the  gentlemen  referred  to,  and 
who  eventually  transferred  them  to  the  Development 
Co.,  the  ore  in  the  adjoining  mine  was  nearly  2,000  feet 
away,  but  the  vein  in  which  tliis  occurred  was  so  strong 
and  so  apparently  continuous  that  it  was  considered,  by 
its  then  owners,  to  offer  the  attractions  of  a  ver}-  safe 
mining  speculation.  In  the  six  years  which  have  trans- 
pired since  then,  work  has  been  continued  by  means  of 
tunnels  and  shafts  for  the  purpose  of  reaching  the  ore- 
body  which  was  known  to  exist  in  the  adjoining  mine, 
and  which  proved  to  be  continuous  to  the  boundary-line 
of  the  Pinguico  property. 

It  was  only  after  four  years'  work  (namely,  in  1904) 
that  these  efforts  were  rewarded,  and  a  year  later 
(1905),  the  first  profits  commenced  to  accrue.  During 
the  period  of  exploration  and  development,  a  \evy  con- 
sidera])le  outlay  had  necessarily  been  incurred,  —  the 
ground  proving  particularly  difficult  to  work,  and  the 
disappointments  not  a  few.  No  expense,  however,  was 
spared  in  the  provision  of  the  necessary  mining  equip- 


The  Pinguico  Mines  105 

merit.  The  speculative  value  of  this  property  having 
been  proved  by  Messrs.  McElhiney  and  Bryant,  the 
Guanajuato  Development  Co.  acquired  all  their  inter- 
ests therein,  but  at  a  very  moderate  price,  the  vendors 
accepting,  as  usual,  their  profit  in  the  form  of  securities 
of  said  purchasing  company. 

The  work  which  has  been  done  upon  the  Pinguico 
property  included  the  driving  of  several  hundred  feet 
through  the  ore  which  had  previously  been  discovered  by 
the  original  owners.  The  vein  has  been  found  to  consist- 
ently grow  wider  and  the  ore  as  regularly  to  increase  in 
value;  the  average  value  of  this  to-day  is  at  the  high 
rate  of  $50  U.  S.  Cy.  (£10)  per  ton. 

The  ore  contained  in  the  vein  of  this  mine  is  entirely 
different  to  any  other  which  I  have  seen  in  the  Guana- 
juato District  and  is,  indeed,  almost  unique  in  character. 
It  is  of  a  clayey  nature,  which  rapidly  hardens  upon  be- 
ing exposed  to  the  air.  I  have  every  reason  to  believe 
the  statement  made  to  me  "that  the  ore  of  the  Pinguico 
mine  is  quite  the  richest  that  is  found  in  the  Guanajuato 
camp." 

Work  is  proceeding  actively  at  the  mine  in  the  500  ft. 
level,  and  is  advancing  at  the  rate  of  4  ft.  per  diem, 
through  ore,  which  is,  as  I  have  stated,  worth  $50  U. 
S.  Cy.  (£10)  per  ton.  The  vein  has  a  width  of  20  ft. 
Workings  both  above  and  below  this  level  assure  150  ft. 
above  and  150  ft.  below,  so  that  every  foot  of  advance 
which  is  made  in  this  level  practically  guarantees  400 
tons  of  this  extremely  rich  ore.  The  ore-chute  has  been 
follow^ed  for  over  200  ft., — thus  constituting  the  very 
richest  chute  which  has  been  found  of  latter  days  in  this 
district. 


106  Mexico's  Treasure-Hovse 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  point  out  that  the  values 
which  the  Pinguico  has  heen  proved  to  contain  came 
upon  the  original  owners  with  something  of  a  shock  of 
surprise,  and  no  doubt  caused  them  to  regret  the  precipi- 
tation \\ith  which  they  had  tied  up  their  property.  What 
has  been  their  individual  loss,  however,  has  proved  to  the 
advantage  of  the  Guanajuato  Development  Co.  as  a 
whole,  and  of  course  a  benefit  to  INIessrs.  ^NIcElhiney  and 
Bryant,  who  receive  their  profit  indirectly  in  shares  of 
the  company  acquiring  this  valuable  property. 

ISIy  examination  of  the  mine  sufficiently  proves  that 
the  present  owners  have  allowed  no  question  of  initial 
expenses  to  interfere  with  its  proper  equipment  and 
management.  All  the  necessary  offices  and  buildings  are 
in  excellent  condition,  including  a  blacksmith  shop,  store- 
houses, administration  offices,  dwelling  houses,  sorting- 
sheds,  transformer  house  for  the  electrical  current,  etc., 
etc.  The  machinery,  which  consists  of  a  20  and  a  50 
horse-power  electrical  hoist,  an  electric  blower,  a  50 
horse-power  electric  compressor  and  a  20  horse-power 
electric  pump,  are  all  in  first-class  order. 

The  workings  consist  of  a  500  ft.  cross-cut  tunnel, 
which  cuts  the  vein  at  a  depth  of  200  ft.  below  the  sur- 
face. Upon  this  vein  one  500  ft.  shaft  has  been  sunk 
from  the  cross-cut  tunnel,  and  another  800  ft.  shaft  is  at 
the  present  time  being  sunk  from  the  surface,  at  a  posi- 
tion selected  at  about  the  middle  of  the  claim.  It  would 
probably  be  no  exaggeration  to  estimate  the  net  profit  al- 
ready in  sight  at  $2,000,000  (£400,000),  while  a  con- 
servative estimate  of  the  future  foretells,  with  almost 
absolute  certainty,  a  further  $4,000,000  (£800,000)  as 


y 


^%.       ^   2  I 


^^  ft^^i.;.  /:f 


4 

^ 


=fc^- 


y 

5 


El  Cedro  Group  107 


representing  the  ore  to  be  blocked-out  before  the  end  of 
the  current  year. 

Probably,  shortly  after  these  lines  appear  in  print,  the 
Guanajuato  Development  Co.  will  form  a  subsidiary 
company  for  the  purpose  of  operating  upon  a  large  and 
comprehensive  scale  the  Pinguico  mining  property.  In 
the  meantime,  however,  the  development  work  will  con- 
tinue to  further  prove  the  value  of  the  property,  which 
will  be  later  on  transferred. 

It  only  remains  to  be  said  that  the  claims  of  the  Pin- 
guico group  are  held  upon  unquestionable  titles  from  the 
Federal  Government  of  Mexico.  The  exact  dimensions 
of  the  area  which  it  holds  are  3,300  ft.  along  the  vein, 
and  with  deep  level  rights  also  amply  protected. 

The  high  values  which  were  previously  referred  to  are 
found  exclusively  to  the  south  end  of  the  claims  and  oc- 
cupy only  600  ft.  from  the  south  end  toward  the  north 
end.  As  the  development  work  progresses  toward  the 
north,  both  the  width  of  the  vein  and  the  values  which 
it  contains  steadily  increase.  If  it  should  be  proved 
that  these  values  endure  along  the  entire  extension  of 
the  ground,  the  Pinguico  mine  would  become  a  celebrity 
for  its  richness  as  was  the  Valenciana  (also  in  the  Gua- 
najuato camp)  in  its  most  halcyon  days,  and  when  it 
produced  no  less  a  sum  than  $300,000,000  (£60,000,- 
000) .    That  which  has  been,  may  be  again. 

El  Cedro. — These  properties  consist  of  a  large 
number  of  mining  claims  covering  a  superficial  area  of 
200  acres,  and  including  the  following  claims : 

El  Cedro. 

Fractions  between  El  Cedro  and  Guadalupe  de  Pro- 
videncia  and  San  Caralampio. 


108  Mexico's  Trcasurc-IIouse 


Fractions  between  El  Cedro  and  Piirisima  Concep- 
cion. 

Purisima  de  la  Concepcion. 

Fractions  between  Purisima  de  la  Concepcion  and  El 
Cedro. 

Guadalupe  de  Providencia. 

Fractions  betwen  Guadalupe  de  Providencia  and  EI 
Cedro  and  Xuestra  Seiiora  del  Patrocinio. 

San  Caralampio. 

Fractions  between  San  Caralampio  and  Nuestra  Sen- 
ora  del  Patrocinio. 

The  above  named  properties  are  located  on  the  cele- 
brated ":Mother  Vein"  (Veta  JNIadre)  of  Guanajuato, 
of  which  I  have  previously  spoken,  and  having  an  exten- 
sion along  that  vein  of  about  6,000  ft.  with  deep  levels 
amply  covered.  The  properties  were  originally  spht  up 
among  six  different  owners,  each  of  whom  operated  his 
own  portion  of  the  property  as  a  separate  mine,  and  in 
each  of  which  a  good  ore-chute  was  developed  and  a 
large  production  of  ore  obtained.  Under  one  manage- 
ment, it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  the  operating 
expenses  are  considerably  reduced.  During  the  150 
years  which  these  properties  have  been  worked,  as  much 
as  $50,000,000  gold  (£10,000,000)  has  been  taken  out 
of  them.  Some  few  years  ago,  a  IMexican  corporation 
was  organized,  which  succeeded  in  purchasing  from  the 
six  different  owners  who  held  the  properties  the  whole 
of  their  rights,  and  in  this  waj^  the  much-desired  combi- 
nation of  the  various  properties  was  brought  about  and 
form  to-day  what  is  known  as  the  "Cedro"  group. 

The  early  proprietors,  although  they  succeeded  in  in- 
stalling a  certain  amount  of  modern  machinery,  were  not 


Development  Co.'s  Enterprise  109 

able  to  successfully  operate  the  properties,  nor,  indeed, 
did  they  possess  the  funds  necessary  to  erect  an  up-to- 
date  treatment  plant,  without  which  no  mining  propo- 
sition of  this  character  can  ever  become  a  thoroughly 
profitable  enterprise.    Success  was  attained,  however,  by 
efforts  more  or  less  spasmodic,  as  was  proved  by  the 
values  which  the  owners  extracted  from  their  properties. 
Sometimes  they  found  very  high-grade  ores  which  pro- 
duced enormous  profits ;  but  without  a  systematic  opera- 
tion, necessitating  a  large  amount  of  working  capital 
which  they  did  not  possess,  nothing  like  permanent  or 
regular  success  could  be  expected.    It  was  not,  therefore, 
difficult  to  induce  the  owners  to  sell  out  to  the  Guana- 
juato Development  Company,  under  the  usual  provision 
of  bond  and  lease,  providing  for  obligatory  develop- 
ment being  done. 

Messrs.  McElhiney  and  Bryant  were  again  the  me- 
dium for  the  acquisition  of  this  property  for  the  Develop- 
ment Co.,  previously  making  an  examination  to  assure 
themselves  of  the  desirability  of  acquiring  the  mines, 
with  the  result  of  finding  more  net  profit  in  sight  in  the 
mine  than  the  total  purchase  price  represented.  The  bond 
and  lease  under  which  the  property  is  held  call  for  the 
payment  of  the  purchase  price  at  the  end  of  two  years 
from  Jan.  1st,  1906,  during  which  time  active  develop- 
ment work  must  be  continued,  and  this  is  going  on  both 
rapidly  and  consistently  at  the  present  time. 

The  vein  passing  through  the  Cedro  property  has  an 
average  width  of  40  ft.,  across  which  it  is  mineralized  in 
many  portions — frequently  for  its  entirety.  The  grade 
of  ore  found  was  not  profitable  under  the  old  methods 
of  treatment;  but  to-day,  by  means  of  modern  mining 


110  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

and  milling  machinery  and  the  invaluable  cyanide  pro- 
cess, the  mine  is  proving  to  be  an  enormously  profitable 
investment.  The  former  owners  opened  up  the  mine  by 
means  of  four  vertical  shafts  and  two  incline  shafts,  to 
an  average  depth  of  700  ft.  But  a  small  proportion  of 
the  ground  which  was  thus  opened-up  had  been  touched, 
as  it  was  considered  of  too  low  a  grade  to  produce  profits 
by  the  old  methods.  To-day,  this  same  ore,  which  carries 
about  $12.00  U.  S.  Cy.  (£2.8.)  per  ton,  is  capable  of 
producing  from  $6.00  to  $7.00  U.  S.  Cy.  profit  (£1.4.0 
to  £1.8.0)  on  every  ton  of  ore  which  is  mined  and  milled. 

There  are  some  200,000  tons  of  "dumps"  on  the  prop- 
erty, or  what  were  called  "dumps"  by  the  original  owners, 
but  these  really  may  be  regarded  as  reserve  heaps  of  ore, 
inasmuch  as  their  value  is  very  nearly  $6.00  per  ton, 
and  mil  return  a  $3.00  profit  on  each  ton  after  milling. 
The  former  owners  of  the  Cedro  properties  had  rejected 
vast  amounts  of  "fillings," — that  is  to  say,  ore  which 
they  had  not  thought  it  worth  while  to  extract  for  treat- 
ment, considering  it  of  too  low  grade;  but  the  present 
proprietors  will  be  able  to  mill  these  rejections  with  con- 
siderable success,  since  accurate  tests  have  proved  them 
to  be  capable  of  yielding  from  $4  to  $5  U.  S.  Cy.  per  ton 
profit,  by  proper  milling  methods. 

The  workings  of  the  mine  traverse  long  distances  un- 
touched by  the  former  owners,  for  the  reasons  indi- 
cated above.  These  bodies  contain  several  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  tons  of  ore,  ready  for  breaking  and  send- 
ing to  the  mill,  there  to  be  turned  into  gold  and  silver 
bars  and  handsomely  recompense  the  owners  for  their 
outlav. 


C) 


Contemplated  Improvements  111 


Under  the  management  of  the  Guanajuato  Develop- 
ment Co.,  the  Cedro  group  is  having  its  workings  con- 
siderably deepened  and  fresh  enormous  bodies  of  ore 
blocked-out.    By  the  end  of  the  present  year  the  Devel- 
opment Co.  will  be  in  a  position  to  form  a  subsidiary 
company  on  a  large  scale  to  take  over  and  work  the 
Cedro  properties.     It  is  contemplated  to  erect  a  mill 
having  a  daily  capacity  of  from  300  to  500  tons,  which, 
when  completed  and  in  operation,  will  secure  a  profit  of 
$5  U.  S.  Cy.  (<£l)  per  ton  on  every  ton  of  ore  treated. 
The  property,  once  in  the  hands  of  the  operating  com- 
pany, will  be  equipped  with  all  the  necessary  and  most 
modern  machinery,  destined  to  be  operated  in  a  very 
efficient  and  economical  manner.     The  Cedro  property 
may  be  considered  among  the  most  valuable  in  the  Gua- 
najuato District,   and  yielding  an  average   all-round 
profit  of  $5  (£l),  means,  considering  the  vast  amount 
of  ore  already  in  sight  and  that  yet  to  be  blocked-out, 
a  handsome  return  to  those  investing  their  money  in  it. 


Chapter  VIII. 


The  Story  of  the  Guanajuato  Development  Company  (Continued). 
— The  Central  Group  of  Mines. — The  Company's  Scope  and 
Methods  of  Working. — The  Aparecida  Mine. — The  Victoria 
Mine. — The  San  Prospcro  Mine  and  Mill. — A  Great  River 
Dredging  Scheme. — San  Isidro  Ranch  and  Dam  Undertaking. 

COXTIXUING  the  description  of  the  proper- 
ties of  the  Guanajuato  Development  Com- 
pany, I  may  now  proceed  to  consider  that  im- 
portant group  known  as  La  Central,  and  which  com- 
prises the  following  claims : 

AmpHacion  de  San  Vicente,  Canales,  Xuevas  cuadras 
de  Canales,  San  Vicente,  Nuevas  cuadras  de  San  Vi- 
cente, 3a.  AmpHacion  de  San  Vicente,  Santa  Isabel,  La 
Escondida,  Alfa,  Beta,  Gama,  Delta,  Jota.  All  of  these 
have  a  superficial  area  of  172  acres. 

The  mines  are  situated  in  the  immediate  proximity  of 
the  Cedro  properties,  already  described,  but  they  pos- 
sess their  gwti  veins  entirely  distinct  from  those  of  their 
neighbours'.  Some  thirty  veins  traverse  the  property'- 
outcropping  on  the  surface,  and  showing  values  in  gold 
and  silver  ranging  from  $10  to  $20  U.  S.  Cy.  (£2  to 
£4)  per  ton,  leaving  a  very  handsome  margin  of  profit 
for  the  operating  compan\\ 

When  the  Guanajuato  Development  Co.  took  over 
these  properties,  they  had  already  been  worked  for  a 
year  previously  through  five  tunnels  and  four  incline 
shafts.  These  workings  served  to  open  up  twelve  veins 
at  depths  ranging  from  200  to  500  ft.,  and  the  ore- 

Page  112 


Rich  Pockets  of  Gold  Ore  113 

bodies  thus  exposed  were  of  the  very  high-grade,  above 
mentioned.  It  was  necessary  to  outlay  considerable 
sums  of  money  to  further  open  up  and  work  these  veins, 
and  to  provide  the  necessary  mills  in  which  to  treat  the 
ores  mined.  The  original  proprietors  were  unable  to 
obtain  the  funds  required  for  this  purpose,  and  were, 
therefore,  ready  to  dispose  of  their  properties  to  the  De- 
velopment Co.  under  the  usual  bond  and  lease  terms,  at 
the  same  time  selling  the  mill  which  they  had  already 
erected,  and  which  is  sufficiently  large  to  afford  an  earn- 
ing capacity  of  several  thousands  of  dollars  per  month, 
all  of  which  profit  is  being  put  back  into  the  property  by 
the  Development  Co. 

It  is  estimated  that  it  will  take  a  further  period 
of  18  months  to  put  these  mines  into  efficient  shape  to 
produce  a  regular  output  of  200  tons  per  day.  In  due 
course  of  time  the  Guanajuato  Development  Company 
will  organize  a  subsidiary  company  for  the  purpose  of 
taking  over  the  Central  group, — in  the  mean  time  sup- 
plying sufficient  sums  of  money  to  erect  and  equip  a 
mill  and  furnish  the  mines  with  thoroughly  up-to-date 
machinery.  The  anticipated  result  will  be  an  earning 
capacity  of  $1,000  U.  S.  Cy.  (£200)  per  day. 

Some  extremely  rich  pockets  of  gold-ore  have  been 
found  upon  the  Central  property,  while  specimens  of 
native  gold  are  frequently  met  with.  During  the  past 
working,  some  comparatively  small  pockets  of  gold  have 
been  found  which  have  produced  as  much  as  $1,000,000 
(£200,000)  in  a  few  months.  Anticipating  a  continu- 
ance of  these  lucky  finds,  the  former  owners  entirely 
neglected  to  work  the  low  grade  for  more  sure  profit - 
earning  ores.     Under  the  new  management,  it  may  be 


114  Mexico's  Treasure-House 


taken  for  granted  that,  while  the  Development  Com- 
pany will  keep  a  keen  look-out  for  and  extend  a  ready 
welcome  to  any  more  of  these  rich  pockets,  the  less  val- 
uable ores  will  be  vigorously  and  consistently  worked, — 
the  scheme  of  operation  embracing  the  blocking-out 
of  a  large  tonnage  of  moderate-grade  ore,  of  which  it  is 
absolutely  certain  the  mine  contains  vast  stores. 


The  San  Isidko  Ranch. — Besides  the  mines  to  which 
I  have  referred,  the  Guanajuato  Development  Company 
owns  the  San  Isidro  ranch,  which  is  one  of  the  oldest 
properties  in  the  State  of  Guanajuato,  its  titles  dating 
back  more  than  200  years.  It  is  situated  up  in  the  moun- 
tains, east  and  northeast  of  the  famous  mining  district, 
and  is  precious  from  more  than  one  point  of  view.  In 
addition  to  possessing  a  large  area  of  thickly -\vooded 
scrub  oak,  it  is  exceedingly  valuable  for  charcoal  and 
pasturage,  and  vAW.  accommodate  5,000  head  of  cattle. 

This  ranch,  moreover,  comprises  a  very  large  drain- 
age basin  which  will  render  possible  a  storing  of  a  vast 
accumulation  of  water,  to  be  used  hereafter  in  the  mines, 
mills  and  factories  in  Guanajuato,  and  for  irrigating 
a  huge  area  of  rich  agricultural  land  on  the  plains.  The 
ranch  covers  some  16,000  acres,  of  which  two-thirds  are 
tributary  to  a  single  drainage-basin.  This  latter  can  be 
economically  dammed  and  thus  formed  into  a  reservoir 
sufficiently  large  to  contain  nearly  6,000,000  cubic  me- 
ters (1,500,000,000  gallons),  while  the  ground  having 
a  much  greater  altitude  than  any  of  the  surrounding- 
country,  the  water  can  ])e  supplied  by  means  of  gravita- 
tion to  any  point  which  is  necessary  for  the  purposes  of 
the  mines,  mills,  factories  or  irrigation. 


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The  San  Isidro  Dam  115 

For  every  ton  of  ore  milled  in  the  Guanajuato  camp, 
it  is  necessary  to  provide  about  five  tons  of  water  for 
each  ton  of  ore  that  is  treated ;  and  in  view  of  this,  com- 
bined with  the  fact  that  the  mines,  as  a  rule,  have  but 
comparatively  small  quantities  of  water  in  them,  and 
that  the  flow  of  the  streams  near  by  is  practically  nil 
(except  in  the  rainy  season) ,  the  value  of  the  San  Isidro 
Ranch  as  a  storage-dam  will  be  recognized. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  the  mines  will  have  to  depend  en- 
tirely upon  the  San  Isidro  dam  for  their  future  water 
supply,  while  the  various  mills,  factories  and  farms  will 
be  fortunate  in  being  able  to  secure  so  regular  a  supply, 
and  thus  render  themselves  independent  of  any  climatic 
assistance. 

The  dam  will  be  able  to  supply  from  its  accumulated 
storage  enough  water  to  run  thousands  of  stamps  in  the 
Guanajuato  District,  as  well  as  irrigate,  for  a  distance 
of  from  6  to  10  miles,  the  rich  lands  which  spread  out  in 
the  adjoining  plain.  It  is  not  unreasonable  to  anticipate 
a  most  prosperous  and  remunerative  farming  and  agri- 
cultural industry  in  the  Guanajuato  neighborhood,  since 
the  new  dam  ^y\\\  he  in  a  position  to  supply  all  the  water 
necessary.  Upon  the  San  Isidro  Ranch  itself  no  fewer 
than  5,000  head  of  cattle  can  be  pastured,  and  inasmuch 
as  these  animals  could  be  purchased  as  yearlings  at  ten 
dollars  Mex.  (<£l)  and  sold  as  three-year-olds  for  thirty 
to  forty  dollars  Mex.  (£3  to  £4),  the  handsome  profits 
which  this  enterprise  can  secure  for  the  industry  alone 
will  be  obvious.  Taking  this  in  conjunction  with  the 
regular  annual  revenue  from  the  mines  for  the  supply  oi 
water  and  the  sales  of  the  scrub-oak,  the  proposition 


116  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

should  be  an  extremely  tempting  one  from  an  investor's 
point  of  view. 

Cattle-raising  has  always  been  a  very  important  and 
remunerative  industr}^  in  Mexico,  and  carried  on  as  it 
\^ill  be  at  Guanajuato  on  the  San  Isidro  Ranch,  under 
experienced  management,  it  should  prove  by  no  means 
an  unimportant  asset  of  the  Guanajuato  Development 
Company.  The  Spaniards,  in  whose  possession  this 
ranch  remained  for  over  two  hundred  years,  were  keen 
believers  in  cattle-breeding,  and  by  means  of  special 
legislation  they  made  it  the  favorite  occupation  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  country.  Before  their  time,  however, 
cattle-breeding  in  INIexico  formed  a  very  inconsiderable 
part  of  the  country's  exports;  later  on  this  industry  was 
turned  to  somewhat  better  advantage,  the  hides  being 
manufactured  into  leather  and  the  tallow  being  used  for 
the  making  of  soap.  Towards  the  close  of  the  seven- 
teenth and  the  whole  of  the  eighteenth  century,  sheep 
farming  became  an  industry  of  great  value,  especially 
in  the  northern  and  central  provinces. 

Guanajuato  is  one  of  the  principal  agricultural  and 
cattle-raising  States  in  the  Republic.  It  ranks  third  in 
the  list  of  cattle-producers,  Jalisco  coming  first,  with  a 
value  of  $13,333,922;  Chihuahua  second,  with  $9,215,- 
465,  and  Guanajuato  third,  with  $8,840,537.  With  the 
naturally  rich  ])asturage  and  the  abundant  water  supply 
which  the  San  Isidro  Ranch  will  henceforth  enjoy,  there 
is  no  reason  whatever  why  the  State's  cattle  production 
should  not  be  materially  increased  by  this  fine  property, 
as  soon  as  it  gets  into  thorough  working  order. 


The  Organization  and  Staff  117 


THE    MANAGEMENT    OF    A    GREAT 
ENTERPRISE. 

When  the  Guanajuato  Development  Company 
took  over  the  whole  of  the  active  Guanajuato  business 
of  the  Securities  Corporation,  Limited,  and  of  the 
Messrs.  McElhiney  and  Bryant,  it  was  also  obliged  to 
take  over  the  management  of  all  the  properties  pre- 
viously managed  by  those  gentlemen,  with  the  result 
that  to-day  it  controls,  through  its  offices,  the  business  of 
the  Peregrina  Mining  &  MiUing  Company,  the  Nayal 
Milling  Company,  the  Central  Mining  &  MiUing  Com- 
pany, the  Cedro  Mining  &  Milhng  Company,  the  Pin- 
guico  Mining  &  Milling  Company,  the  San  Isidro 
Ranch,  The  San  Prospero  Mines  Company  and  the  San 
Matias  Mill  of  that  company,  the  Aparecida  Mines 
Company,  the  Victoria  Mines  Company,  the  Guana- 
juato River  Gold  Mining  Company,  the  San  Mateo 
Mines  Company,  the  Guadalupe  Mines  Company,  the 
Navidad  Mines  Company  and  the  La  Luz  Mines  Com- 
pany, as  well  as  the  personal  properties  of  Messrs.  Mc- 
Elhiney and  Bryant  and  Mr.  Peck. 

In  order  to  handle  all  these  properties  and  to  look  af- 
ter the  construction  of  their  mills,  the  equipment  of  their 
mines  and  the  handling  of  their  concentrates  and  bul- 
lion, a  very  large  organization  naturally  is  necessary. 
Mr.  Geo.  W.  Bryant  is  the  active  business  head  of  the 
company  in  Guanajuato,  and  in  his  office  is  found  a 
technical  staff  covering  every  branch  of  a  business  which 
includes  the  construction  of  the  mills,  the  equipment  of 
the  mines  and  the  complete  operation  of  both.  To  carry 
this  out  properly  and  in  a  systematic  and  well-organized 


118  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

manner — as  assuredly  is  done — it  has  been  necessary  to 
gather  together  a  highly  efficient  technical  corps  re- 
cruited from  every  part  of  the  world.  Upon  the  staff  of 
this  company  are  to  be  found  men  who  have  graduated 
from  technical  colleges  in  every  part  of  the  globe,  and 
who  bring  to  bear  upon  the  conduct  of  the  various  mines 
and  properties  the  combined  experience  and  ability  of 
the  best  brains  of  the  world. 

The  laborers  employed  are  entirely  Mexican,  and  it 
therefore  becomes  necessary  that  the  managing  staff 
should  be  efficient  both  in  speaking  and  writing  the 
Spanish  language  and  possess  a  thorough  knowledge  of 
the  capacity  and  customs  of  these  people.  It  is  hardly 
as  simple,  as  may  be  imagined,  to  obtain  employees  pos- 
sessed of  these  qualifications  as  it  is  to  obtain  men  in  the 
United  States  where  but  one  language  is  spoken,  and 
where  both  labor  and  material  are  more  easih'  procured. 
In  spite  of  these  draw-backs,  however,  it  can  be  safely 
said  that  the  construction  of  mills  and  the  equipment  of 
mines  \\'ith  their  necessary  complicated  machinery  can 
be  done  more  cheaply  in  JNIexico,  and  especialh^  in  Gua- 
najuato, than  in  any  part  of  the  West.  As  an  example 
of  this  there  may  be  mentioned  the  construction  of  the 
new  Peregrina  mill,  consisting  of  100  stamps  (a  com- 
plete description  of  which  will  be  found  in  Chapter  X) , 
for  the  sum  of  $200,000  U.  S.  Cy.  (£40,000)  and  the 
building  of  the  great  Peregrina  dam,  with  a  capacity 
of  storing  100,000,000  gallons  of  water,  for  less  than 
$25,000  U.  S.  Cy.  (£5,000). 


The  Aparecida  Mines  Company  119 

SOME  PROMINENT  GUANAJUATO 
PROPERTIES. 

The  Aparecida  Mines  Company. — This  company 
owns  the  following  mining  claims:  "El  Fenix,"  "La 
Perulera,"  "La  Independencia,"  and  "La  Ampliacion 
de  Independencia."  They  comprise  a  total  superficial 
area  of  116  acres,  and  are  located  on  the  celebrated 
Mother  Vein  between  Rayas  (belonging  to  the  Guana- 
juato Reduction  and  Mines  Company),  on  the  N.  W., 
with  its  recorded  production  of  $300,000,000  (£60,- 
000,000)  and  the  Sirena  (belonging  to  the  Guanajuato 
Consolidated  Mining  &  Milling  Company)  on  the  S.  E., 
with  a  production  of  over  $50,000,000  (£10,000,000). 
The  Aparecida  claims  cover  about  2,000  feet  along 
the  vein,  with  the  deep  levels  protected  to  a  depth 
of  2000  feet  vertically.  The  outcrop  of  the  Mother 
Vein  is  very  strong  throughout  the  properties,  and,  in 
the  crosscuts  of  the  mine,  a  width  of  about  200  feet  is 
constantly  shown. 

The  property  was  worked  on  the  surface  in  the  early 
days,  and  large  amounts  of  ore  were  taken  out  at  that 
time.  Messrs.  McElhiney  and  Bryant,  of  Guanajuato, 
obtained  an  option  for  the  purchase  of  the  property  in 
the  year  1903,  and  then  formed  the  Aparecida  Mines 
Company,  a  Colorado  corporation  with  a  capital  of 
$1,000,000  (£200,000).  Sufficient  capital  was  sub- 
scribed to  carry  out  a  certain  amount  of  development 
work,  which  has  resulted  in  the  opening  up  of  some  very 
large,  and  unquestionably  rich,  ore-bodies.  The  ore  de- 
posits of  the  Rayas  and  Sirena  mines,  situated  on  either 
side  of  Aparecida,  have  been  found  to  be  the  richest  at 


120  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

a  depth  at  least  1,000  feet  below  the  present  workings  of 
the  Aparecida;  so  that  it  is  perfectly  reasonable  to  as- 
sume that  further  enormous  tonnages  of  good  ore  are  to 
be  won  from  so  wide  a  vein  beneath  the  present  work- 
ings. 

It  is  the  intention  of  the  company  to  erect  a  mill  and 
to  thoroughly  open  up  the  mine  to  a  still  greater  depth. 
Mr.  Frank  G.  Peck  is  President  of  the  company,  and 
its  offices  are  in  Colorado  Springs.  Messrs.  G.  W.  Mc- 
Elhiney  and  Geo.  W.  Bryant  hold  a  large  amount  of 
stock  in  the  company,  as  well  as  many  Eastern  people. 

The  mine  is  equipped  with  electrical  machinery,  and 
as  will  be  recognized  from  the  description  of  its  situa- 
tion, it  occupies  a  very  strategic  position.  ]Mr.  Geo.  W. 
Bryant  is  manager  for  the  company  in  Guanajuato. 


The  Victoria  Mines  Company. — Some  six  years 
ago  a  group  of  Colorado  mining  entrepreneurs  became 
interested  in  a  piece  of  virgin  ground  located  on  the 
great  ^lother  Vein  of  Guanajuato,  and  adjoining  the 
famous  Valenciana  mine.  Due  to  the  fact  that  the  sur- 
face of  the  claim  was  not  promising,  it  had  been  left 
untouched  for  close  upon  three  centuries.  This 
group  of  Colorado  people  purchased  the  property,  and 
formed  a  corporation  known  as  the  "Victoria  Mines 
Co."  With  a  full  knowledge  of  mining  and  the  risks 
which  are  usually  entailed  therein,  they  erected  machin- 
ery and  sank  a  modern  shaft  to  a  depth  of  1000  feet, 
cutting  the  vein  at  about  900  feet  and  going  right 
through  it.  They  found  ores  running  from  $6.00  to 
$9.00  U.  S.  Cy.  (say  from  £1.4.0  to  £1.6.0),  which 
at  that  time  were  not  "pay";  and  this  fact  resulted  in 


San  Prosper 0  Mines  Co.  121 

stoppage  of  any  further  work  on  the  property.  To-day, 
however,  with  the  introduction  of  cheap  electric  power 
and  of  the  cyanide  process  for  treating  the  ores,  this 
grade  of  ore  will  leave  a  profit,  when  worked,  and  the 
mine  will  undoubtedly  be  re-opened  very  soon.  The 
claims  comprise  the  following:  "La  Victoria,"  "Am- 
pliacion  de  la  Victoria"  and  "2a  Ampliacion  de  la  Vic- 
toria," with  a  total  superficial  area  of  135  acres.  Mr. 
Frank  G.  Peck  is  President  of  the  company,  and  its 
offices  are  in  Colorado  Springs,  Colorado.  Mr.  Geo. 
W.  Bryant  is  General  Manager  in  Guanajuato. 

This  is  one  of  the  properties  which,  there  can  be  but 
little  doubt,  will  develop  rapidly  in  the  future,  and  will 
be  a  testimony  to  the  splendid  courage  of  the  men  who 
sank  deep  shafts  into  that  apparently  barren  ground. 


The  San  Prospero  Mines  Co. — This  is  a  Color- 
ado corporation,  of  which  Mr.  Frank  G.  Peck  is 
also  the  President,  and  Mr.  Geo.  W.  Bryant  the  Gen- 
eral Manager  at  Guanajuato.  The  property  comprises 
the  claims  of  "San  Prospero,"  "San  Francisco"  and 
"La  Ampliacion,"  with  an  area  of  70  acres.  These 
claims  are  located  about  half  a  mile  from  the  celebrated 
Valenciana  mine,  and  its  principal  vein  is  parallel  to  the 
Mother  Vein  of  Guanajuato,  dipping  at  about  the  same 
angle  and  in  the  same  direction.  As  an  old  mine,  it  was 
worked  by  open  cuts  on  surface,  frequently  to  a  width 
of  50  to  60  feet;  but  at  no  time  was  any  serious  effort 
made  to  sink  shafts  and  carry  on  proper  mining  work 
until  Mr.  Peck  purchased  the  property  in  the  year  1900. 
He  immediately  equipped  it  with  machinery,  and  began 
systematically  developing  the  property.     At   present 


122  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

there  is  ample  ore  blocked  out,  ^dth  a  value  of  from 
$10.00  to  $12.00  U.  S.  Cy.  (£2.0.0  to  £2.8.0)  per  ton, 
largely  in  gold.  For  the  working  of  the  property  and 
the  building  of  the  mill  there  was  formed  the  San  Pros- 
pero  iSIines  Company,  and  in  December  of  last  year  was 
begun  the  construction  of  a  40-stamp  mill  for  the  treat- 
ment of  the  ores  of  the  property.  In  order  to  secure 
ample  water  facilities,  ]\Ir.  Peck  purchased  all  of  the 
surface-land  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  and  which  com- 
prises several  small  ranches,  thus  securing  to  himself  the 
entire  water  rights  for  his  mill. 

The  mill,  which  is  now  nearly  completed,  comprises  the 
usual  crushing  machinery,  silver-plated  amalgam  plates, 
Wilfley  concentrating  tables,  hydraulic  separators  for 
separating  the  sands  from  the  slimes,  tube  mills  for  re- 
grinding  the  sands,  sand-tanks  equipped  with  the  Blais- 
dell  system  for  automatically  charging  and  discharging 
the  tanks  and  in  which  the  sands  will  be  treated  by  cya- 
nide, slime  tanks  with  the  Hobson  patent  agitating 
machinery  for  agitating  the  slimes  in  the  tanks,  precipi- 
tation house  equipped  with  the  latest  methods  for  precip- 
itating cyanide  solutions  on  zinc,  filter  presses,  fur- 
nace for  melting  precipitates,  and,  in  fact,  everything 
needed  for  the  most  modern,  complete  combination  cya- 
nide mill.  This  mill  will  have  a  capacity  of  from  125  to 
150  tons  per  day;  the  motive  power  throughout  is  elec- 
tricity, and  the  water  is  supplied  by  a  series  of  large 
dams  in  which  all  the  water  collected  from  a  considerable 
area  is  stored.  While  not  the  largest  in  the  camp,  the 
"San  Matias"  mill  is,  in  every  sense,  absolutely  com- 
plete, and  no  care  or  expense  has  been  spared  either  by 
its  original  designer,  Mr.  F.  J.  Hobson,  or  its  owner. 


Valuable  Tailings  Carried  Away  123 

Mr.  Peck,  to  make  it  thoroughly  perfect  in  every  re- 
spect ;  and  it  is  but  fair  to  say  that  it  will  eif ect  a  saving 
of  from  90  to  95  per  cent.,  if  not  more,  while  the  entire 
operation  will  be  carried  out  as  cheaply  as  good  manage- 
ment and  automatic  machinery  can  render  possible. 

The  San  Prospero  mines  will  be  otherwise  thoroughly 
equipped  with  electrical  hoists,  compressors  and  pumps, 
so  that  mining  there  will  be  made  as  cheap  as  it  is  pos- 
sible to  make  it.  At  the  bottom  and  both  ends  are  found 
good  ore,  and  it  is  safe  to  predict  a  long  and  a  profitable 
life  for  this  attractive  property. 


A  GREAT  SCHEME  IN  PREPARATION. 

The  Guanajuato  River  Gold  Mining  Company. 
— For  more  than  three  hundred  years  the  tailings 
from  the  many  patio  mills  of  Guanajuato  have 
been  discharged  into  the  Guanajuato  River,  with  the 
result  of  filling  up  a  depression  to  a  depth  of 
more  than  30  feet  with  finely-crushed  sands,  which  ex- 
tend below  the  City  of  Guanajuato  for  a  distance  of 
some  seven  miles.  In  the  early  days  of  the  sixteenth, 
seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries,  milling  by  the 
patio  process  did  not  save  nearly  as  much  of  the  precious 
metals  as  the  improvements  of  later  years  made  possible, 
with  the  result  that  much  of  these  taihngs  carried  away 
in  the  Guanajuato  River  still  retain  good  values.  It  is 
estimated  that  over  100,000,000  tons  of  tailings  have 
gone  from  these  mills  into  the  river,  and  scarcely  any 
of  these  tailings  could  have  contained  less  than  21/2  oz. 
of  silver;  and  since  but  very  little  of  the  gold  was  saved 
in  the  old  style  mills,  these  same  tailings  must  carry  a 


124  Mexico's  Treasure-HotLse 


very  large  proportion  of  the  yellow  metal.  The  tailings 
in  great  quantities  have  been  washed  down  the  river  and 
taken  too  far  away  to  be  of  any  immediate  service ;  but 
nearly  10,000,000  tons  of  these  sands  still  remain,  carry- 
ing an  average  value  of  $2.50  U.  S.  Cy.  (say  lO/s)  per 

ton. 

The  company  joined  with  INIr.  Geo.  W.  McElhiney 
and  his  partner,  ^Nlr.  Geo.  W.  Bryant,  in  securing  from 
the  State  Government  of  Guanajuato  a  concession  to 
excavate  and  treat  these  taihngs.  Their  concession  stip- 
ulated the  expenditure  of  a  large  sum  of  money  >vithin 
a  certain  length  of  time.  This  money  was  duly  expended, 
in  a  very  careful  and  thorough  investigation  of  the 
quantity  and  value  of  the  tailings,  for  which  purpose 
excavations  were  made  along  the  entire  seven  miles  of 
the  river  course  and  bed,  and  the  material  was 
thoroughly  sampled  and  tested  after  each  excavation. 
Some  extremely  remarlvable  and  liigh-grade  deposits 
were  discovered,  and  these  were  especially  realised  when 
the  bed-rock  was  reached,  where  frequently  large  de- 
posits of  quicksilver,  lost  from  the  amalgamation  mills, 
as  well  as  of  silver  amalgam,  also  lost  by  the  same  proc- 
ess, could  be  scraped  off  the  bed  rock,  while  every  crev- 
ice of  the  rock  held  a  small  ])ool  of  quicksilver. 

The  results  of  this  investigation  pointed  to  concentra- 
tion as  the  best  method  of  treating  the  tailings,  and  a 
small  plant  was  erected,  using  electricity  for  power,  and 
equipped  with  various  kinds  of  concentrating-tables  for 
the  test  work.  It  was  found  that  a  concentrate  could 
readily  be  made  carrying  from  $.50.00  to  $100.00  U.  S. 
Cy.  (£10  to  £20)  per  ton,  and  represent  a  saving  of 
about  half  of  the  values  contained.     The  cost  of  exca- 


A  Golden  Prospect  125 

vating  the  material  from  the  river,  separating  the  coarse 
rock  from  the  fine  sands  and  passing  the  sands  over  con- 
centrating tables,  was  25c.  (say  1/)  per  ton,  so  that  a 
very  good  margin  of  profit  remained.  The  success  at- 
tained upon  a  small  scale  has  emboldened  the  company 
to  erect  a  plant  on  a  larger  scale,  having  a  capacity  of 
about  3,000  tons  of  material  per  day.  Such  a  plant 
should  have  an  earning  capacity  of  $3,000.00  per  day 
and  can  probably  work  eight  months  in  the  year.  There 
is  sufficient  material  to  supply  such  a  plant  for  about  10 
years,  and  it  is  confidently  believed  that  it  will  return  its 
entire  cost  with  its  first  year's  profits. 

A  still  larger  deposit  of  these  tailings  is  found  fur- 
ther below  the  ground  held  by  the  concession  of  this 
company,  which  is  the  property  of  Mr.  Frank  G. 
Peck  and  Messrs.  McElhiney  and  Bryant.  While  the 
grade  of  the  lower  deposit  is  not  so  good,  yet  the  ton- 
nage is  very  much  greater,  and  it  is  readily  handled  by 
the  same  means  as  in  the  upper  part  of  the  river.  It  is 
quite  probable  that  these  two  propositions  may  be 
eventually  combined,  in  which  case  the  plant  would  be 
increased  in  size,  and  a  profitable  hf  e  of  at  least  20  years 
given  to  it. 

This  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  best  propositions  in 
Guanajuato  to-day.  It  is  possible  to  sample  the  values 
and  measure  the  tonnage  with  absolute  accuracy,  while 
many  deposits  of  extremely  high-grade  values,  and  also 
much  solid  amalgam  and  quicksilver,  have  been  found. 
No  effort  has  been  made  to  include  them  in  the  average 
value  of  the  taihngs,  and  it  is  the  intention  to  treat  the 
material  exactly  as  is  done  with  the  gold  placers  of  Cal- 
ifornia, the  only  difference  being  that,  instead  of  re- 


126  Mexico's  Treasure-Hcmse 


covering  free  gold,  as  in  the  case  of  California,  the 
values  will  be  recovered  in  the  form  of  sulphides  or  con- 
centrates, which  must  either  be  melted  on  the  ground, 
cyanided,  or  sold  to  the  smelters.  Another  point  of  dif- 
ference between  this  deposit  and  the  placers  of  CaHfor- 
nia  consists  in  the  fact  that  the  average  value  of  the  14 
miles  of  river  covered  by  these  tailings  deposits  is  about 
$4.00  per  cubic  yard,  while  the  value  of  those  of  Cah- 
fornia  is  15c.  per  cubic  yard. 

The  material  ^^dll  be  excavated  by  dredging  ma- 
chinery, as  is  done  in  Cahfornia,  and  it  will  then  pass  to 
concentrating  tables,  where  as  much  as  possible  of  its 
contents  will  be  saved.  It  is  to  be  greatly  regretted  that 
the  values  are  too  low  to  permit  of  economical  cyanid- 
ing,  but  it  is  possible  that  in  later  years  even  this  may  be 
attempted  with  success. 

The  haciendas  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Guana- 
juato River,  where  in  former  days  the  patio  process  of 
treating  the  mine  ores  was  in  constant  operation,  and 
from  which  the  discharged  tailings  fell  into  the  river, 
were  as  follows:  Casas  Blancas,  San  Juan,  La  Trinidad 
and  San  Francisco.  The  last  of  these  haciendas  to 
operate  the  old  patio  process  may  still  be  seen  working, 
being  the  only  one  of  its  kind  now  left,  perhaps.  Par- 
meo,  Barrera  Grande,  Barrea  en  Media,  Dolores,  San 
Antonio  de  Barrera,  Noria  Alta,  Cipreses,  Rocha,  San 
Pedro,  Pardo,  San  Francisco  de  Flores,  Purisima  de 
Flores,  Graniditas,  Salgado,  Patrocinia,  Carrica,  Esca- 
lera,  San  Matias,  San  Gavier,  La  Luna,  Duran,  Lucito, 
Bustos,  San  Augustin,  Puerta  Grande,  San  Geromino, 
and  San  Francisco  Patista,  are  the  other  haciendas, 
many  of  which  are  now  in  ruins  and  deserted. 


Chapter  IX 

The  Peregrina  Mining  and  Milling  Company. — A  Substantially 
Financed  Undertaking. — A  Mine  with  an  Interesting  History. — 
The  Early  Indians  and  their  Work. — Description  of  the  Pere- 
grina.— The  Veins. — How  They  are  Being  Worked. — High- 
grade  Ores. — An  Intelligent  System  of  Development. — The 
Motive  Power  Used. — The  Machinery  as  It  Was  and  as  It  Is. 

THE  initial  mistake  made  by  so  many  mining 
companies  situated  in  different  sections  of  the 
world  of  attempting  to  conmience  the  develop- 
ment of  new  mines  without  sufficient  capital  of  their 
own,  or  a  substantial  financial  "backing,"  has  been 
avoided  by  the  majority  of  the  Guanajuato  companies 
at  present  working  in  this  district.  One  of  the  most 
substantial  and  successful  enterprises  is  The  Peregrina 
Mining  and  MilHng  Company,  of  whose  properties  I 
propose  to  speak  in  detail,  first,  however,  desiring  to 
point  out  that  the  great  amount  of  success  which  has 
attended  this  company  has  been  mainly  due  to  the  fact, 
that,  from  the  beginning  of  its  career,  it  has  enjoyed  the 
invaluable  assistance  and  abundant  resources  of  The  Se- 
curities Corporation,  Limited,  of  New  York. 

This  great  company  paid  for  the  whole  of  the  ex- 
haustive examinations  and  voluminous  reports  made 
upon  the  property,  which  required  no  less  than  five 
months  to  complete,  and  cost  something  hke  $20,000,  or 
say  £4,000.  Engaged  upon  the  work  were  two  of  the 
most  distinguished  mining  engineers  and  metallurgists 
to  be  found  in  Mexico,  namely,  Mr.  A.  B.  Carpen- 

Page  127 


128  Mexico's  Treasure-House 


ter  and  ^Ir.  F.  J.  Hobson,  both  of  Mexico  City. 
Some  nine  other  American  engineers  were  also  en- 
gaged in  this  work,  and  it  is  only  fair  to  say  that, 
so  far  as  expert  knowledge  and  ripe  experience  can 
make  anything  absolutely  certain  in  this  world,  the 
Peregrina  Mine  has  been  thoroughly  and  unquestionably 
established  as  a  valuable  and  workable  proposition. 
Nothing  was  left  to  chance  for  want  of  consideration, 
every  ton  of  ore  in  the  mine  itself  and  on  the  dumps  be- 
ing carefully  measured,  sampled  and  assayed,  while 
thorough  discussions  and  consultations  were  held  as  to 
the  most  advantageous  methods  to  be  adopted  for  the 
recovery  of  the  ore-values  both  by  milling  and  cyanide 
process,  and  determining  what  should  be  about  the  cost 
of  the  treatment  and  its  attendant  results. 

Having  thus  provided  the  means  and  opportunity  for 
the  Peregrina  to  be  known  and  to  "know  itself,"  The  Se- 
curities Corporation,  completely  satisfied  from  the  exam- 
inations that  it  was  not  wasting  its  substance,  con- 
sented to  finance  the  enterprise  all  through,  and  subse- 
quently acquired  the  property  by  purchase.  The  pre- 
vailing conditions  of  the  markets  at  this  time  favored 
the  purchasers,  and  the  mines  were  acquired  at  a  very 
reasonable  figure.  It  is  certainly  worthy  of  mention, 
and  may  be  carefully  noted  by  English  and  American 
promoters  generally,  that  the  purchase  price  of  the  Pe- 
regrina was  net  to  the  proprietors,  not  a  single  dollar 
being  added  in  the  way  of  commission,  promoters' 
profits  or  other  "watering"  before  it  reached  the  hands 
of  the  shareholders.  Of  how  many  similar  concerns  can 
this  reassuring  statement  be  truthfully  said? 


Peregrinas  Ancient  History  129 

Thus  equipped  from  its  inception,  and  handled  by- 
men  of  ripe  experience,  untiring  energy  and  strict  in- 
tegrity, the  Peregrina  commenced  operations,  and 
conducted  in  the  same  manner  and  under  the  same  spirit, 
has  to-day  advanced  into  the  front  rank  of  the  soundest 
and  most  valuable  mining  property  in  Mexico. 

Like  that  of  many  of  the  most  celebrated  mining 
properties  in  the  Guanajuato  Camp,  the  history  of 
Peregrina  goes  back  for  many  years,  being  celebrated 
for  its  enormously  rich  silver  ores  in  the  pre-Indepen- 
dence  days.  There  are  certain  old  inhabitants  still  exist- 
ing who  remember  their  fathers  and  grandfathers  telling 
of  the  great  wealth  drawn  from  these  mines ;  but,  success- 
ful as  these  early  workers  undoubtedly  were,  there  is  no 
question  that  they  knew  little  or  nothing  of  the  real 
value  of  the  mines,  nor  did  they  even  know  how  to  make 
the  most  of  what  they  found  there.  The  Spaniards 
ignorantly  threw  aside  as  useless  thousands  of  tons  of 
ore  on  to  the  "dumps"  (that  is,  heaps) ,  and  to-day  these 
same  dumps  are  reckoned  among  the  most  precious  as- 
sets of  The  Peregrina  Mining  and  Milling  Company. 
There  is  reason  to  believe  that  Peregrina  was  being 
worked  and  big  quantities  of  ore  being  taken  out  by  the 
Indians  before  Cortez  ever  set  foot  in  the  country,  and 
the  hateful  name  of  Spaniard  had  come  as  a  curse  to 
the  peaceful  "Chichimecas,"  inhabiting  this  portion  of 
the  country. 

Tradition  is  rich  in  regard  to  Peregrina,  and  among 
other  records  it  is  found  that  huge  outcrops  of  the  fa- 
mous Peregrina  vein,  measuring  50  feet  wide  and  of  im- 
mense value,  were  worked  by  the  primitive  fire  and 
water  method,  i.  e.,  building  a  fire  in  a  tunnel  in  the  wall 


130  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

and  then  throwing  cold  water  on  the  heated  surface, 
causing  it  to  crack  and  fall  to  pieces.  To-day,  that 
50-foot  outcrop  has  given  place  to  a  vast  fissure  1,500 
feet  long,  100  feet  deep  and  60  feet  wide,  extending 
from  wall  to  wall,  and  proving  conclusively  that  if  the 
old  fire  and  water  process  of  mining  was  slow,  as  it  un- 
doubtedly must  have  been,  at  least  it  was  sure — for  the 
Indians  certainly  got  out  rich  silver  and  gold  from  the 
rock  and  used  it. 

But  whatever  amount  they  took  out  was  represented 
tenfold  by  what  they  ignorantly  or  carelessly  left  in. 
They  only  troubled  themselves  about  the  richest  kind  of 
ores,  as  they  knew  them,  fortunately  for  the  present 
owners  leaving  intact  numerous  bodies  of  ore  which 
measured  in  length  anywhere  between  400  and  500  feet 
and  having  a  depth  of  about  150  feet.  No  evidence  ex- 
ists that  the  early  workers  knew  of  these  valuable  de- 
posits, or  knowing  of  them,  troubled  themselves  in  the 
least  to  wrest  the  treasures  which  they  contained  from 
the  encumbering  rock.  In  silver,  these  deposits  yield 
about  $20.00  or  $30.00  a  ton,  but  in  gold — of  which 
the  Indians  seemed  to  take  absolutely  no  heed — there  is 
a  return  of  nearly  $10.00  (=£2)  per  ton.  The  stores  of 
these  valuable  ores  are  almost  exhaustless,  including 
what  has  been  blocked-out  in  the  mine  and  what  exists 
on  the  dumps  outside. 

Whereas  the  early  Indians  and  their  successors  always 
regarded  the  Peregrina  mine  as  a  silver-producer  and 
very  little  else,  the  mine  is  actually  a  valuable  gold,  as 
well  as  a  silver,  property.  The  proportion  of  the  yellow 
to  the  white  metal  amounts  to  no  less  than  G8  per  cent,  to 
32  per  cent.    It  may  be  mentioned  that  one  parallel  vein 


The  Main  Vein  and  Ores  131 

in  the  south  end  of  the  mine  carries  70  per  cent,  of  gold 
and  30  per  cent,  silver  in  value.  Under  these  circum- 
stances, the  Peregrina  may  legitimately  be  described  as 
a  "Gold  Mine,"  and  a  very  valuable  one,  too.  By  the 
present  methods  of  working  the  ores,  which  I  shall  de- 
scribe in  detail  later  on,  nearly  all  the  values  are  re- 
covered, whereas  formerly  they  were  only  very  imper- 
fectly secured  by  the  patio  process. 

The  mine  contains  a  main  vein  embracing  about  3,874 
feet  of  length.  This  has  been  developed  for  about  two- 
thirds,  say  2,558  feet  and  to  a  vertical  depth  of  nearly 
900  feet.  The  main  vein  may  be  divided  into  two  por- 
tions, the  northwest  and  southeast.  In  the  first  mentioned 
part,  the  workings  contain  no  portion  of  the  main  vein  in 
the  upper  levels ;  and  it  is  only  encountered  at  a  depth  of 
597  feet  from  the  surface.  In  place  of  the  main  vein, 
however,  there  is  a  complete  system  of  smaller  veins,  all 
having  in  their  time  yielded  abundantly.  Splendid  ore 
is  found  as  the  main  vein  is  encountered,  the  width  being 
exceptionally  great.  In  some  parts  the  width  is  nearly 
40  feet,  of  which  at  least  14  feet  have  a  value  of  $10 
(or  £2)  per  ton,  while  at  one  point  samples  taken  and 
treated  resulted  in  a  return  of  $43  (£8/12)  per  ton. 
In  the  southeastern  portion  of  the  main  vein  the  esti- 
mated amount  of  ore  is  over  300,000  tons,  of  a  value  of 
$10  per  ton.  Careful  measurements  have  been  made  here 
as  elsewhere  in  the  mine,  although  some  difficulty  in 
actually  securing  measurements  was  experienced  owing 
to  this  part  of  the  mine  being  choked  up  with  "fiUings," 
that  is,  large  quantities  of  discarded  ore.  A  considerable 
part  of  the  vein  here  remains  undeveloped,  but  that  the 
ore  body  continues  to  exist  without  any  change  in  char- 


132  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

acter  cannot  be  doubted.  AVhere  samples  have  been 
taken,  the  results  have  been  exceedingly  satisfactory. 

There  are  several  valuable  parallel  veins  existing  both 
at  the  southeast  and  northwest  end.  The  most  impor- 
tant, perhaps,  are  the  first  named.  The  workings  here 
are  developed  through  crosscuts  from  the  Barreno  shaft, 
and  drifts  on  this  vein  show  a  width  of  ore  measuring 
over  six  feet.  The  vein  dips  towards  the  main  vein  at  an 
angle  of  80  degrees,  the  best  of  its  ore  running  in  chutes, 
one  of  which  has  a  length  of  154  feet  along  the  vein. 
The  value  of  this  ore  is  about  $9.75  (say  £l/19)  per  ton. 
A  good  deal  of  work  must  have  been  done  here  in  the  old 
days,  but  some  6,000  tons  of  ore  remain  between  the  two 
existing  levels.  Several  other  branch  veins  run  here, 
some  of  which,  however,  are  only  of  a  low-grade  ore. 

The  northwest  end  of  the  parallel  veins  shows  an  ex- 
tensive amount  of  w^orking.  One  vein  is  nearly  vertical, 
^vith  a  width  of  from  one  to  three  feet.  The  ore  is  found 
in  pockets  or  chimneys  and  lenses,  and  has  been  proved  to 
be  of  a  high  grade.  Some  of  the  ore  has  been  tested,  and 
has  yielded  a  return  of  $50  (or  say  <£lO)  per  ton,  and 
this  over  a  width  of  three  feet.  Other  samples  have  re- 
turned as  high  as  $40  (£8)  and  as  low  as  $11  (£2/4) 
per  ton,  but  this  part  of  the  mine  has  been  but  little  de- 
veloped of  late  years,  and  contains  great  possibilities. 

It  is  quite  exceptional  to  find  such  an  amount  of  ore  of 
so  consistent  a  grade  as  that  in  the  Peregrina,  bearing  in 
mind  the  length  of  the  workings  with  both  ends  open. 
Another  feature  is  the  constant  width  of  the  main  vein, 
and  the  indications  which  it  presents  of  becoming  even 
wider.  At  the  bottom  level  the  ore  chutes  are  remark- 
ably well-defined,  although  the  northernmost  end,  as  I 


Total  Value  of  Ore  133 

have  said,  is  as  yet  only  partially  and  imperfectly  deter- 
mined. I  was  particularly  well  impressed  with  the  lack 
of  necessity  for  the  use  of  expensive  and  cumbersome 
timber  in  the  shafts,  the  nature  of  the  walls  of  the  veins 
being  such  as  to  render  this  superfluous.  Then,  again,  a 
very  small  quantity  of  water  is  encountered,  reducing 
considerably  the  cost  of  pumping,  always  an  expensive 
and  troublesome  part  of  mining.  The  three  large  shafts 
which  I  inspected  are  admirably  constructed,  and  are 
situated  very  favorably  both  for  ore  extraction  and  ven- 
tilating the  mine.  The  Guadalupe  shaft  retains  its 
steam  hoist  as  well  as  its  new  electric  hoist  and  is  in 
addition  installing  a  pump,  when  it  will  be  used  as  an 
auxiliary  pumping  shaft.  These  shafts  have  the  follow- 
ing dimensions:  Guadalupe  1,050  feet  deep;  San  Fran- 
cisco, 900  feet  deep ;  Barreno,  420  feet  deep.  The  total 
value  of  ore  in  the  mine  measured  upon  four  sides  may 
be  conservatively  put  at  $2,500,000  (U.  S.  Cy.)  or,  say, 
£500,000  net  profit  to  the  shareholders. 

I  have  already  mentioned  the  valuable  character  of  the 
dumps,  but  perhaps  a  few  further  words  of  description 
of  these  desirable  assets  of  the  Peregrina  mine  may 
prove  interesting,  and  at  least  merit  some  attention. 
Some  of  these  huge  mounds  of  ore  which,  during  the 
many  years  that  the  mine  has  been  working,  have  been 
brought  to  the  surface  and  there  "dumped"  down,  have 
distinctive  names  of  their  own.  Thus  there  is  the  Guada- 
lupe Dump,  composed  almost  entirely  of  ore  from  the 
main  vein,  and  the  Barreno  Dump  having  65,000  tons 
of  $10.00  ore.  It  is  protected  on  all  sides  by  well  built 
stone  walls,  two  pits  being  sunk  on  the  top.  Samples 
taken  from  these  yielded  $8.50   (say  £1/14)   per  ton. 


134  Mexico's  Treasure-IIouse 

There  are  probably  some  18,000  tons  of  ore  on  the 
Guadalupe  Dump,  and  all  of  about  the  same  value.  The 
total  value  of  the  dumps  on  Peregrina  is  well  over 
$1,000,000  (about  £200,000).  This  large  amount  of 
value  must  be  added  to  that  of  the  ore  in  the  mines  itself, 
viz:  $2,500,000  and  the  mine  fillings,  representing  a 
further  $170,000,  making  a  grand  total  of  $3,700,000 
(or  say  £740,000)  in  net  profits. 

The  Peregrina,  like  all  the  other  properties  belonging 
to  the  same  group  of  proprietors,  is  situated  close  to  the 
City  of  Guanajuato,  being  about  7  miles  distant.  The 
locality  is  scenically  a  charming  one,  the  mine  being  con- 
tained in  a  series  of  romantic-looking  hills,  part  of  an 
apparently  endless  range  stretching  away  almost  as  far 
as  the  eye  can  reach.  An  immense  undulating  plain  lies 
beyond  on  the  other  side,  which,  when  irrigated,  as  is 
proposed,  with  the  waters  which  will  be  stored  up  by 
means  of  a  huge  dam,  constructed  at  San  Isidro,  will  be- 
come a  veritable  Eden  of  agricultural  prosperity.  A 
winding  wagon  road  connects  the  mine  with  the  city, 
and  over  this  tons  and  tons  of  massive  machinery  and 
supplies  may  be  seen  day  by  day  being  transported  by 
mules.  This  is  likewise  the  main  road  leading  to  other 
mines  in  the  neighborhood. 

The  altitude  is  about  8,200  feet,  and  the  atmosphere  is 
as  invigorating  and  as  delightful  as  champagne.  Work- 
ing in  such  a  locality  means  more  to  those  who  are  em- 
ployed there  than  the  average  mind  can  realise,  since  one 
of  the  greatest  drawbacks  and  dangers  attendant  upon 
mining,  namely,  having  to  exist  in  a  trying  and  perhaps 
a  malarial  atmosphere,  is  entirely  avoided.  There  are  no 
pestilential  troubles  to  health  nor  noxious  insects  to  deal 


y.   ^ 


^    i 


y.    -^ 


The  Mine's  Development  135 

with,  the  attendant  climatic  and  atmospheric  condi- 
tions being  as  favorable  as  the  most  exacting  could  de- 
mand. 

The  Peregrina  property  in  area  consists  of  about 
160  acres,  all  told.  The  actual  mineral  rights  consist  of 
65  pertenencias,  that  being  the  local  title  of  a  mining 
claim.  The  mill-site  consists  of  over  15  acres,  and  has 
just  been  considerably  extended  to  accommodate  one- 
hundred  additional  stamps.  Water  rights  permit  of  the 
collection  of  water  and  use  of  the  same  over  an  area  of 
some  thirty  thousand  acres,  an  advantage  which  need  not 
be  enlarged  upon.  Of  the  dam  already  in  existence  and 
a  new  one  projected,  I  give  fuller  details  elsewhere. 

In  no  other  part  of  the  world  which  I  have  visited  have 
I  encountered  a  more  thoroughly  intelligent  and  com- 
plete system  of  development  than  that  in  vogue  at  Pere- 
grina. Even  before  the  present  owners  took  over  the 
mine,  an  enormous  amount  of  development  had  been 
gone  through,  the  Mexican  proprietors  having  spent 
much  time  and  energy  in  searching  for  the  silver,  but, 
as  already  pointed  out,  leaving  out  of  their  calculations 
the  magnificent  gold-values,  and  overlooking  some  of 
the  finest  silver-bearing  veins  also.  There  is  little  which 
has  been  lost  sight  of  by  the  present  proprietors. 

It  has  been  estimated  that  the  work  already  carried  out 
in  drifting  and  raising  on  the  main  vein  apart  from  the 
shafts,  amounts  to  miles  of  drivage,  this  having  cost 
$250,000,  or,  say,  £50,000.  Almost  the  whole— certainly 
nine-tenths — of  these  miles  of  drifts  and  winzes  is  in  good 
mining  ore.  The  three  shafts  on  the  mine  have  been  most 
advantageously  located,  and  the  ventilation  of  the  work- 
ings is  perfect  in  all  respects.    So  much  having  already 


136  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

been  done,  and  all  in  a  systematic  manner,  the  present 
further  development  has  been  proceeded  with  under  ex- 
ceptionall}"  favorable  conditions. 

The  present  depth  of  the  bottom  level  will  not  have  to 
be  exceeded  for  a  long  time  to  come,  there  be- 
ing abundant  ore  above  it  for  many  years.  The  man- 
agement are  now  continuing  the  drifts  to  the  northwest 
on  the  two  bottom  levels,  and  every  fresh  50  meters 
driven  here  means  another  10,000  tons  of  ore  blocked-out 
between  the  levels,  and  as  much  again  above  as  below. 

The  south,  or  Carmen,  level,  is  also  being  continued, 
and  is  thus  extending  the  large  and  well-defined  ore 
chute,  so  that  this,  in  view  of  the  great  width  of  the  vein 
that  is  found,  means  an  enormous  quantity  of  new  ore 
being  developed  at  a  very  little  expenditure.  In  the  near 
future  the  "Barreno"  shaft  will  be  further  sunk;  and  this 
will,  as  a  matter  of  course,  still  further  extend  the 
amount  of  tonnage  in  the  south  end  of  the  mine,  as  well 
as  opening  up  the  latter  for  economical  extraction. 

Owing  to  the  scarcity  of  fuel  in  the  district,  which 
never  at  any  time  could  have  been  great,  but  which  has 
been  growing  less  and  less  for  many  years  past,  the 
former  workers  must  have  found  great  difficulty  and 
heavy  expense  in  running  what  machinery  they  had.  To- 
day, a  complete  transformation  has  come  over  the  mining 
industry  at  Guanajuato,  for  the  necessary  motive  power 
is  that  of  electricity.  Both  the  mines  and  mills  are  ad- 
mirably equipped  with  the  latest  forms  of  macliinery  of 
this  character,  the  current  being  furnished  by  the  Guana- 
juato Power  and  Electric  Co.  at  a  very  reasonable  price, 
considerably  less,  I  may  say,  than  many  mines  have  to 


Electrical  Motive  Power  137 

pay  out  West,  but  which  still  leaves  a  handsome  profit 
to  the  supplying  company  itself. 

The  motive  power  travels  over  100  miles  by  cables 
from  the  State  of  Michoacan,  and  elsewhere  will  be 
found  a  description  of  the  origin  of  the  Guanajuato 
Power  and  Electric  Co.  and  its  methods  of  supplying 
the  mines  and  the  City  of  Guanajuato.  For  the  two 
years  that  the  company  has  been  doing  business  the  ut- 
most satisfaction  has  been  afforded  to  its  customers. 
Guanajuato  is,  in  my  opinion,  one  of  the  best-lighted  as 
it  is  certainly  one  of  the  most  romantically  located  places 
in  the  Republic  of  Mexico.  The  town,  or  rather  City  of 
Guanajuato,  possesses  nearly  80,000  inhabitants,  this 
number  being  considerably  added  to  day  by  day  as  the 
attractions  of  the  mining  district  become  better  ap- 
preciated. 

One  of  the  most  valuable  improvements  introduced  by 
the  new  management  at  the  Peregrina,  when  the  mine 
was  taken  over  from  its  former  owners,  has  been  the  con- 
struction of  the  Bryant  dam,  which  has  a  holding  capac- 
ity of  93,000,000  gallons  and  a  working  capacity  of 
186,000,000  gallons.  The  height  of  this  structure  is  24 
meters,  and  it  has  a  length  of  100  meters;  the  total  cost 
of  building  having  been  $25,000,  or,  say  £5,000. 

The  crushing  plant  and  machinery  which  existed  in 
Peregrina  before  The  Securities  Corporation,  Ltd.,  be- 
came the  owners,  included  the  Kinkaid  mills,  having  a 
capacity  of  40  tons  daily,  but  they  have  been  superseded 
by  a  20-stamp  mill. 

The  present  plant  also  comprises  the  new  and  very 
complete  20-stamp  mill,  amalgamating  plates  and  Wil- 
fley  concentrators,  treating  over  70  tons  a  day  of  the 


138  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

highest  grade  ores.  The  construction  of  another  large 
mill,  having  100  stamps,  is  also  proceeding,  the  founda- 
tions being  now  complete,  and  by  the  time  these  lines 
appear  in  print  in  all  probability  the  hum  and  thud  of  the 
full  120  stamps  on  the  Peregrina  mine  will  be  heard  day 
and  night,  having  a  combined  capacity  of  no  less  than 
320  tons  of  ore  daily.  The  average  value  of  the  stuff 
passed  through  may  be  taken  at  $10.00  (£2)  per  ton, 
yielding  a  profit,  after  all  expenses,  losses  and  taxes 
have  been  deducted,  of  $1,700.00  (£340)  per  day,  which, 
working  only  340  days  out  of  the  year,  is  equal  to  $500,- 
000.00  (£100,000)  a  year. 

Besides  the  crushing  machinery  in  use  in  the  two  mills, 
there  are  working  a  150  horse-power  steam  hoist,  situ- 
ated at  the  Guadalupe  shaft,  and  a  30  horse-power  steam 
hoist  on  the  San  Francisco  shaft.  Both  of  these  hoists 
are  what  is  known  as  of  the  double-drum  type,  and  are 
being  used  for  the  extraction  of  water  as  well  as  of  ore. 
An  additional  hoist  of  55  horse-power  operated  by  elec- 
tricity, has  been  erected  at  the  Barreno  shaft  and  a  150 
horse-power  electric  hoist  is  being  installed  at  the  San 
Francisco  shaft.  A  70  horse-power  compressor,  electric- 
ally driven,  works  the  air-drills  of  the  mine,  and  a  50 
horse-power  electric  pump  will  take  out  the  small 
amount  of  water  made. 

Although  upon  the  Guanajuato  mines  a  general  type 
of  crushing  machinery  is  in  use,  some  of  the  managers 
adopt  one  system  of  treating  sand  and  slime  and  some 
another.  There  is  as  much  difference  of  opinion  preva- 
lent among  mine  managers  as  to  which  is  the  best  treat- 
ment of  ores,  as  there  is  among  other  experts  in  relation 
to  other  industrial  enterprises.    Again,  each  particular 


Different  Ore  Treatment  139 


mine  has  a  particular  kind  of  ore,  and  naturally  what  is 
found  to  be  most  advantageous  and  economical  for  the 
one  need  not  necessarily  be  equally  beneficial  for  the 
others. 

On  the  Peregrina  mine  an  important  installation  will 
be  made  this  year,  namely,  the  Blaisdell  process  of  hand- 
ling the  sands. 


Chapter  X. 

The  Peregrina's  Equipment. — The  Mill. — How  the  Ores  are  Treated 
from  the  Time  They  are  Brought  to  the  Surface  Until  the  Pro- 
duction of  Gold  Bars. — The  Crushing  Machinery. — The 
Stamps,  Dies  and  Shoes. — The  Wilfley  Concentrating  Tables. — 
The  "Sponge." — Concentrates. — The  Blaisdell  Process  De- 
scribed.— The  Economy  Effected  in  Labor. — The  Peregrina's 
Remarkable  Extractions. 

THE  Peregrina  stamp  mill,  consisting  altogether 
of  the  120  head  of  stamps,  is  connected  with  the 
mine  by  two  tram  Hnes.  The  ore  is  brought  over 
this  line  in  steel  cars  with  a  capacity  of  II/2  tons  each,  and 
out  of  them  the  stuff  is  dumped  into  bins  having  a  hold- 
ing capacity  of  200  tons.  From  the  bins  the  ore  is  fed 
automatically  through  two  Gates  ore  crushers,  wherein 
it  is  broken  up  to  a  size  that  would  pass  through  a  ring 
having  a  diameter  of  1%  "•  From  here  the  stuff  is  con- 
veyed to  the  ore-bins,  having  a  holding  capacity  of  1,000 
tons,  behind  the  stamps,  by  means  of  a  belt-conveyer, 
and  discharged  by  a  tripping  device  which  is  under  per- 
fect control,  making  it  possible  to  fill  the  bin  to  its  fullest 
holding  capacity.  Passing  from  the  bin,  the  ore  is  fed  to 
the  hea\y  stamps  by  automatic  appliances  into  the  mor- 
tars, in  which  the  stamps  drop.  The  weight  of  these 
heavy  stamps  is  1,050  lbs.  each,  while  the  mortars  them- 
selves have  an  individual  weight  of  9,000  lbs.  The  mas- 
sive mortars  are  set  upon  concrete  blocks,  securely  held 
down  by  heavy  iron  bolts  which  pass  down  through  the 
battery  block,  having  stirrup-shaped  loops  in  which  are 
fixed  pieces  of  60  lb.  steel  rails. 

Page  140 


The  Crushing  Process  141 


The  battery  block  is  180  feet  long,  6  feet  wide  at  the 
bottom,  4  feet  wide  at  the  top  and  6  feet  high,  accom- 
modating the  full  100  stamps.  These  are  divided  up 
into  groups  or  batteries  of  5  stamps  to  each  mortar.  The 
stamps  have  a  drop  of  from  6  to  8  inches,  with  about 
90  drops  to  the  minute. 

Simultaneously  with  the  automatic  feeding  of  the  ore 
to  the  mortars,  water  is  introduced,  so  that  while  the 
stamps  are  being  lifted  by  means  of  the  revolving  cams, 
fixed  upon  the  cam-shaft  and  dropped  at  regular  inter- 
vals, the  ore  is  being  crushed  and  wetted  at  the  same 
time.  The  "shoes"  fixed  on  steel  stems  meet  the  dies  as 
they  drop,  and  thus  crush  the  ore  which  is  continually 
falling  from  the  bin  between  them.  Both  shoes  and  dies 
are  composed  of  the  hardest  kind  of  steel  so  as  to  suc- 
cessfully withstand  the  hard  work  which  they  have  to 
perform.  The  action  of  the  dropping  stamps  sets  up 
automatically  a  splashing  and  washing  motion  of  the 
mixed  ore  and  water,  so  that  so  soon  as  the  ore  has  been 
crushed  to  the  proper  size,  it  is  washed  out  through  the 
front  of  the  battery  where  it  is  met  by  a  frame  carrying 
screens.  The  screens  used  in  various  mills  differ  some- 
what as  to  their  coarseness  or  fineness,  but  those  at  the 
Peregrina  mill  have  a  mesh  of  30  sqs.  to  1  inch,  that  is  to 
say,  30  small  openings  to  the  linear  inch. 

The  crushed  material  has  by  this  time  assumed  the 
character  and  is  known  by  the  name  of  "pulp,"  being 
quite  liquid  in  consistency^  The  palp  now  passes  over 
amalgamating  plates  of  copper  which  have  been  previ- 
ously silver-plated  and  charged  with  quicksilver.  As  the 
pulp  passes  down  and  over  the  surface  of  these  amalga- 
mating plates,  the  particles  of  gold,  coming  into  contact 


142  Mexico's  Treasure-Housc 


with  the  quicksilver,  are  held  fast,  the  rest  of  the  liquid 
flowing  away,  but  leaving  about  40  per  cent,  of  the  pre- 
cious metal  behind  on  the  plates.  These  latter  are 
scraped,  and  the  gold  is  thus  secured. 

The  next  stage  of  the  milling  process  is  the  treatment 
of  the  liquid,  still  containing,  it  will  be  remembered,  60 
per  cent,  of  the  gold  and  silver  particles.  The  pulp 
flowing  through  the  screens  is  thrown  on  one  side  of  the 
copper  plates,  which  have  a  width  of  40"  and  a  narrow 
strip  of  wood  affixed  as  a  dividing  line  in  the  centre,  ex- 
tending the  entire  length  of  the  plates,  namely,  8  feet. 
While  the  pulp  is  flowing  along  on  one  side  of  the  plates, 
the  mill-men  (having  first  washed  the  plates)  add  more 
quicksilver,  the  object  being  to  soften  the  coating  of 
gold  which  has  formed  into  a  hard  surface  as  other  par- 
ticles have  been  washed  over  it  and  have  adhered.  When 
the  desired  degree  of  softness  has  been  attained,  the 
whole  of  the  deposit  is  removed  by  means  of  a  rubber 
squeezer  being  pushed  up  and  along  the  surface  of  the 
copper  plates.  By  this  action  all  the  soft  amalgam,  or 
deposit,  is  removed  easily  from  the  one  side,  after  which 
the  flow  of  pulp  is  transferred  to  the  other  side  and  the 
same  course  of  procedure  is  followed.  When  the  plates 
have  been  thus  completely  cleaned  and  all  the  soft  amal- 
gam removed  from  the  plates  of  one  battery,  the  process 
is  continued  to  all  the  other  batteries.  The  whole  amount 
of  soft  gold  deposit  collected  is  now  placed  in  a  chamois 
leather,  and  subjected  to  a  process  of  squeezing.  The 
greater  part  of  the  quicksilver  runs  through  and  is  pre- 
served for  future  use,  while  all  the  gold  particles,  as  well 
as  the  other  foreign  matter,  are  retained,  forming  a  ball 
which  is  technically  termed  "hard  amalgam."    This  mass 


Separating  the  Gold  143 

contains  about  20  per  cent,  of  gold  and  80  per  cent,  of 
silver,  quicksilver  and  other  matter. 

The  next  step  in  the  treatment  is  to  separate  the  gold 
from  the  silver,  quicksilver  and  other  matter  with  which 
it  is  still  mixed.  The  whole  of  the  rough  amalgam  is  put 
into  a  retort  and  placed  in  an  iron  pot,  wuth  a  tightly  fit- 
ting lid.  Inserted  in  this  lid  is  a  pipe,  which,  while  the 
pot  (with  its  retort)  is  being  subjected  to  a  red-hot  heat 
in  the  furnace,  connects  with  a  tank  of  water.  The  in- 
tense heat  of  the  furnace  causes  the  quicksilver  to  become 
volatile  and  pass  off  in  the  form  of  vapour  through  the 
pipe,  but  upon  again  coming  into  contact  with  the  water 
the  quicksilver  condenses,  and,  falling  to  the  bottom  of 
the  tank,  is  eventually  recovered  and  used  over  again. 
The  quicksilver  having  now  been  entirely  got  rid  of  from 
the  amalgam,  the  retort,  having  previously  been  allowed 
to  cool,  is  opened  and  the  contents — known  as  the 
"sponge" — is  removed.  This  presents  a  pale,  yellowish 
appearance  owing  to  the  purity  of  the  gold  which  it  con- 
tains. The  "sponge"  is  then  smelted  with  the  necessary 
amount  of  flux,  a  substance  used  to  gather  up  the 
foreign  matter  remaining,  and  forming  into  a  kind  of 
scum  which  can  be  easily  removed,  leaving  the  pure  metal 
behind.  The  result  of  this  treatment  is  a  pure  lump  of 
gold— 990/1000  fine. 

But  the  whole  process  of  recovery  is  even  now  not 
completed.  There  is  still  the  treatment  of  the  pulp  res- 
idue to  be  considered.  When  leaving  the  copper  plates 
the  pulp  is  led  through  troughs  to  Wilfley  concentrating 
tables.  These  are  composed  of  wooden  frames  built 
upon  an  inclined  plane,  and  covered  with  linoleum.  Here 
are  affixed  a  number  of  riffles,  or  narrow  strips  of  wood. 


144  Mexico's  Treasure-House 


The  Wilfley  tables  are  continually  being  shaken  and  agi- 
tated in  much  about  the  same  manner  as  is  the  floor  of  a 
threshing  machine.  The  movement  is  lengthwise,  with 
a  distance  of  about  %  of  an  inch,  the  number  of  "shakes" 
to  the  minute  being  about  232.  The  result  of  this  agita- 
tion of  the  pulp  is  to  separate  the  sulphides  of  silver  as 
well  as  other  heavy  mineral  particles  from  the  sands  or 
pulp,  the  stuff  recovered  being  termed  "concentrates," 
which  is  sold  to  the  smelters  for  further  treatment.  This 
is  the  practice  at  present  in  force,  but  Guanajuato  mine- 
managers  are  proposing  to  treat  their  concentrates  them- 
selves in  future,  and  thus  effect  great  economies  by  elim- 
inating entirely  the  middleman's  profit — in  the  shape 
of  railroad  and  smelter  charges.  When  this  innovation 
has  been — if  it  ever  is — introduced,  there  will  be  no  inter- 
vention between  the  mine-managers  and  the  banks  and 
mints  which  buy  pure  gold.  The  saving  to  the  mine 
owners  would  be  considerable. 

After  leaving  the  concentrating  tables  the  pulp  is 
delivered  to  sizing  and  separating  cones.  Here  the  sand 
and  slime  are  separated,  the  coarse  sand  being  delivered 
to  a  tube-mill  and  the  slime  is  run  into  the  tanks,  where 
it  remains  until  ready  for  the  cyanide  treatment. 

In  the  tube-mill  the  sand  is  subjected  to  a  treatment 
which  makes  it  much  finer,  when  it  is  again  sized  in  the 
cone-sizer.  It  is  now  delivered  to  a  collecting  tank  where 
all  the  water  is  drained  away.  This  tank  being  filled,  the 
gate  in  the  bottom  is  opened,  permitting  of  the  Blaisdell 
process  ])eing  applied. 

The  Blaisdell  system,  as  established  at  the  Peregrina 
mines,  furnishes  an  automatic  means  for  charging  and 
discharging  the  eighteen  leaching  tanks  in  which  sands 


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Labor  Doric  Away  With  145 

are  treated.  The  charging  is  accompHshed  by  means  of 
an  apparatus  similar  to  the  Butter's  distributor,  which 
takes  the  wet  material  directly  from  the  collecting  tanks 
and  distributes  it  conveniently,  and  in  a  porous  condi- 
tion, in  the  tanks,  without  labor  of  any  kind.  The  dis- 
charging machine  consists  of  a  special  arrangement  of 
harrows  working  in  the  tank  by  means  of  a  large  ma- 
chine, setting  upon  the  tank,  and  moving  backward  and 
forv/ard  along  the  row  of  tanks  on  special  rails.  The 
harrows  throw  the  sand  tow^ard  the  centre,  where  they 
fall  through  an  orifice,  previously  bored  through  the 
centre  for  that  purpose,  on  to  an  automatically-moving 
belt  below,  which  carries  them  to  the  tailings  stacker, 
and  which  deposits  them  in  an  adjoining  hill  in  large 
heaps.  The  charging  of  the  tanks  by  this  process  is 
so  much  better  than  by  any  other  that  the  leaching 
process  is  greatly  aided,  and  a  far  better  percentage  of 
extraction  is  obtained.  By  the  discharging  process,  all 
labor  is  done  away  with,  and  the  cost  reduced  from  10c. 
(Mex.)  per  ton  to  about  2c.  (Mex.)  per  ton. 

A  more  complete  description  of  the  Blaisdell  system 
follows  on  page  147- 

The  following  table  showing  the  total  amount  of 
values  extracted  by  the  Peregi'ina  method  of  treatment 
of  its  ores,  as  well  as  the  cost  of  such  treatment,  will  no 
doubt  prove  of  interest : 


146  MCiVico's  Treasure-House 

RESULTS  OF  TREATMENT  PROCESS: 

Mine  Ores: 

Saved  on  plates 19.7     per  cent,  of  total  value 

Saved  in  concentrates .  .  24,23  per  cent,  of  total  value 

Saved  from  coarse  sands  12.94  per  cent,  of  total  value 

Saved  from  fine  sands.  .  13.69  per  cent,  of  total  value 

Saved  from  slimes 23.76  per  cent,  of  total  value 

Total  saving 94.32  per  cent,  of  total  value 

The  above  results  were  obtained  from  large  milling 
tests,  and  after  a  thorough  preliminary  examination. 
The  figures  refer  to  net  extraction  after  allowing  $20.00 

(say  £4)  for  freight  and  treatment  charges  per  ton  of 
concentrates.  The  material  assayed  per  ton  (2,000  lbs.) 
.626  oz.  gold  and  17.4  oz.  silver.  Total  value — $23.38 

(about  £4/14). 

Dump  Ores: 

Saved  on  plates 19.00  per  cent,  of  total  value 

Saved  in  concentrates..  9.10  per  cent,  of  total  value 

Saved  from  coarse  sands  14.76  per  cent,  of  total  value 

Saved  from  fine  sands.  .  15.55  per  cent,  of  total  value 

Saved  from  slimes 35.34  per  cent,  of  total  value 

Total  saving 93.75  per  cent,  of  total  value 

These  results  refer  to  the  material  treated,  which  as- 
sayed per  ton  (2,000  lbs.)  .26  oz.  gold  and  5.52  oz.  silver, 
total  value  being  $8.83  (say,  £1/15/6). 


The  Blaisdell  Process  147 

Cost  of  Treatment. 

The  cost  of  the  milling  and  treating  the  ore  from  the 
Peregrina  mine  with  the  plant  at  present  in  hand  is  as 
follows : 

Power   $0.34 

Wear  and  tear .25 

Cyanide  treatment  chemicals  .38 

Zinc    05 

Labour    .12 

Sundries .10 

Administration    .25 

Interest  on  investment .15 

Depreciation   .21 

$1.85 
or,  say  7s.  9d.  per  ton. 


THE  BLAISDELL  PROCESS. 

The  purpose  of  the  Blaisdell  System,  which  is  the  in- 
vention of  Mr.  W.  H.  Blaisdell,  President  of  the  Blais- 
dell Company  of  Los  Angeles,  California,  is  to  eliminate 
the  great  mass  of  um-eliable  and  unskilled  labour  hereto- 
fore required  in  the  cyanide  plants  for  charging  and  dis- 
charging the  sand  vats.  By  this  system  no  manual 
labour  is  required  from  the  time  the  ore  leaves  the  crush- 
ers until  it  reaches  the  precipitation  house,  or  tailing 
dump.  Although  this  system  was  invented  and  first 
placed  in  use  but  three  years  ago,  it  is  now  handling  the 
product  of  over  1,000  stamps  in  the  United  States,  Mex- 
ico and  South  Africa. 


148  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

Among  the  plants  using  it  are : 

El  Oro  Alining  and  Railway  Co.,  Ltd.,  ^lexico, 

Cia.  Minera  Las  Dos  Estrellas,  ]Mexico, 

Black  INIountain  ^Mining  Co.,  Mexico, 

Peregrina  ^Mining  and  ^Milling  Co.,  ^Mexico, 

San  Prospero  ^Mining  Co.,  ^Mexico, 

Tonopah  Mining  Co.,  of  Nevada,  U.  S.  A., 

Chas.  Butters  and  Co.,  Ltd.,  U.  S.  A., 

New  ^lodderfontein  G.  jNI.  Co.,  South  Africa, 

Langlaagte  Deep  ^Nlines,  South  Africa, 

Knights  Deep,  South  Africa. 

The  Blaisdell  process  has  effected  a  great  simplifica- 
tion of  plant  arrangement  as  Avell  as  operation.  It  dis- 
penses w^th  the  necessity  for  placing  the  sand-collecting 
vats  on  a  plane  above  the  sand-leaching  vats  and  the  very 
unsatisfactory  construction  of  superimposed  tiers  of 
leachers,  so  universally  used  heretofore  on  the  Rand,  and 
in  some  parts  of  America.  As  is  shown  by  the  cut  which 
illustrates  the  sand  department  of  the  cyanide 
plant  of  the  Peregrina  IVIining  &  Milling  Co.  of  Guan- 
ajuato, the  sand  collecting  and  leaching  vats  are  all  of 
the  same  size,  placed  on  the  same  level,  and  in  two  paral- 
lel rows ;  the  four  collecting  vats  are  automatically  filled 
by  two  Blaisdell  class  W-C  Distributors,  these  machines 
being  an  improved  patented  form  of  Butter's  Distrib- 
utor, mounted  on  a  swinging  crane,  so  that  one  distrib- 
utor serves  two  vats.  (A  Butters  Distributor  works 
similar  to  an  automatic  lawn-sprinkler,  which  is  revolved 
b}'  the  force  of  the  discharged  water.) 

The  mast  of  the  crane  is  mounted  just  outside  the 
trackways  running  along  the  outside  of  the  two  rows  of 
vats,  in  order  to  enable  the  distributor  to  be  swung  on 


'I'^T7. 


•^^^^Tf 


(irANA.MAlO:     SlIil.A.M      I'l ,  1 .1 )  I  \(  i      llll.     Xl.W     1{  I  SI  .1{  \(  )I  K 

DiKiNc;    rm.    Dm'   Skason. 
Plate  :{;{.  1  i^*-'-  P'lK^"  •  -'■ 


The  Excavator  at  Work  149 

one  side  when  the  excavator  has  to  pass  into  position  for 
emptying  one  of  the  collecting  vats. 

But  one  excavator  is  required  for  emptying  all  the 
vats,  collectors  as  well  as  leachers.  It  consists  of  a  steel 
truss  bridge  of  a  trifle  greater  span  than  the  vat  di- 
ameter, being  supported  upon  trucks  having  double 
flanged-wheels  which  travel  on  the  trackway,  above 
mentioned.  At  mid-span  of  the  bridge  is  a  large  verti- 
cal shaft  of  soHd  steel,  8  inches  in  diameter.  The  verti- 
cal shaft  has  two  diametrically  opposite  featherways  in 
which  feathers  slide,  fixed  in  the  large  bevel-gear  at 
the  centre  of  the  bridge  deck,  and  thus  is  accomplished 
the  revolving  motion  of  the  four  horizontal  arms  sus- 
pended at  the  foot  of  this  vertical  shaft. 

As  this  shaft  revolves,  it  is  automatically  lowered  by 
means  of  the  left  and  right-hand  vertical  screws,  which 
work  in  tlii-eaded  bearings  in  the  large  cross-head  which 
supports  the  vertical  shaft,  and  which  is  shown  near  the 
top  of  the  bridge  truss.  Suspended  from  the  four  hor- 
izontal arms  are  a  number  of  hangers,  having  solid  steel 
spindles,  on  which  are  mounted  concave  steel  discs,  such 
as  are  used  on  agricultural  harrows.  It  will  be  noted 
that  the  discs  are  placed  obliquely  to  the  radii  of  the 
beams,  so  that  the  furrow  made  by  one  disc  is  rolled  over 
towards  the  center  of  the  vat  by  the  disc  on  the  follow- 
ing arm.  This  rolling  motion  gives  a  minimum  of  fric- 
tion, so  that  the  power  required  for  performing  the  work 
is  very  insignificant,  being  about  .075  horse-power  per 
ton  excavated.  The  machine  is  actuated  by  small  elec- 
trical motors  w^hich  receive  current  from  trolley  wires 
strung  along  the  outside  of  each  row  of  vats. 


150  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

For  filling  the  sand-leaching  vats,  there  is  required 
only  one  distributor.  It  is  a  steel  truss  bridge  and  is 
of  mucli  simpler  design  than  that  required  for  the  ex- 
cavator. On  this  bridge  is  a  short  belt  conveyor  wliich 
dehvers  the  sand,  discharged  by  means  of  a  travelling 
tripper  on  the  conveyor  running  between  the  two  rows 
of  leaching  vats,  to  the  centre  of  the  distributor  bridge, 
where  the  sand  falls  on  to  a  centrifugal  distributing 
plate,  which  showers  it  lightly  and  uniformly  into  the 
vat.  This  machine  uses  the  same  trackway  and  trolley 
wires  as  the  excavator,  a  transfer-table  being  employed 
for  moving  the  machines  from  one  row  of  vats  to  the 
other. 

There  are  also  the  following  conveyors:  Conveyors 
Nos.  1  and  4  underneath  the  two  rows  of  collecting  vats 
and  delivering  to  Conveyor  No.  3  via  the  short  cross-con- 
veyors, Nos.  2  and  5.  Underneath  the  two  rows  of  leach- 
ing vats  are  the  two  reversible  conveyors,  Nos.  6  and  7, 
which,  when  running  to  the  left,  return  the  sand  for 
double  treatment  to  Conveyor  No.  3,  or,  when  running 
to  the  right,  deliver  the  taihngs  to  the  stackings  con- 
veyor. No.  8.  At  the  head,  or  discharge,  end  of  Con- 
veyor No.  8  is  a  rotating  drum  or  pulley  having  on  it 
triangular-shaped  hard  steel  beaters,  or  "batters,"  and 
as  the  taihngs  are  discharged  from  the  conveyor  they  are 
thrown  some  25  or  30  feet  beyond  the  end  of  the  con- 
veyor by  means  of  this  rapidly  revolving  beater,  which 
is  known  as  the  Blaisdell  Class  N.  Taihngs  Stacker. 

The  purpose  of  this  machine  is  to  avoid  the  construc- 
tion of  a  high  trestle  way  (such  as  is  quite  common  on 
the  Rand) ,  for  by  means  of  this  device  the  dump  is  built 
sufficiently  in  advance  of  the  conveyor  to  enable  the  lat- 


The  Blaisdell  Process  151 

ter  to  be  gradually  extended  outward  upon  it,  and  there 
is  required  merely  a  very  inexpensive  substructure  con- 
sisting of  cross-ties  and  stringers,  for  carrying  the  con- 
veyors' idlers,  or  pulleys. 

To  avoid  frequent  splicing  of  the  conveyor  belting, 
there  is  introduced  near  the  tail-end  of  the  conveyor  an 
expansion  loop,  usually  about  fifty  feet  between  bend- 
pulleys,  which  enables  the  conveyor  to  be  extended  for 
nearly  fifty  feet,  without  adding  additional  belting.  The 
operation  of  this  expansion-loop  is  very  simple,  and  will 
be  readily  understood  by  anyone  familiar  with  conveyor 
work. 

After  the  dump  has  been  built  on  an  incline  to  any  de- 
sired height  by  means  of  the  Class  N  Stacker,  described 
above,  an  additional  conveyor  equipped  with  the  same 
machine  is  started  level  at  the  height  so  attained.  When 
the  new  conveyor  has  been  completed  to  its  maximum 
distance,  the  Class  N  Stacker  is  dispensed  with,  and  a 
new  device  known  as  Class  L  Stacker  is  put  on  this  con- 
veyor for  the  purpose  of  extending  the  dump  horizon- 
tally on  a  radius  equal  to  the  full  length  of  the  conveyor. 
The  principle  of  the  Class  L  Stacker  is  almost  identical 
with  the  Class  N,  the  only  difference  being  that  the  re- 
volving beater,  which  throws  the  tailings,  is  mounted  on 
an  automatic  reversible  travelhng  tripper.  Referring 
once  again  to  the  half-tone  cut,  the  operation  of  the 
plant  with  the  machines  in  the  position  shown  in  the 
drawing,  is  as  follows : — 

One  of  the  Class  W-C  distributors  is  filling  one  of 
the  collecting  vats ;  the  excavator  has  moved  into  position 
over  one  of  the  leaching  vats,  raised  the  taper  discharge 
plug  at  the  center  of  the  vat  by  means  of  a  hoist  on  the 


1  j2  Mexico* s  Treasure-House 

excavator  bridge,  thereby  creating  an  opening  through 
which  to  discharge  the  vat  contents  on  to  Conveyor  No.  7 
below.  The  travelhng  chute  or  loading  hopper  over  Con- 
veyor No.  7  has  been  placed  in  position  under  the  centre 
of  the  vat-opening,  and  Conveyors  Nos.  7,  5,  3  have 
been  started  by  nie^'ns  of  electrical  switches  on  a  conven- 
iently-located switchboard.  The  Class  Z-S  Distributor 
is  in  position  over  the  leaching  vat  to  be  filled,  and  the 
movable  tripper  on  Conveyor  No.  3  is  situated  so  as  to 
properly  discharge  the  load  of  Conveyor  No.  3  on  to  the 
cross-conveyor  of  Class  Z-S  Distributor.  The  excava- 
tor is  then  started  and  the  sand  is  automatically  trans- 
ferred for  double  treatment  at  the  rate  of  one  hundred 
tons  per  hour,  and  at  a  cost  of  about  half  a  cent  per  ton 
(one  farthing). 

For  discharging  and  stacking  on  to  the  dump,  Con- 
veyor 7  or  6,  running  to  the  right,  is  employed  together 
with  Conveyor  8,  the  stacker  and  the  excavator. 

For  transferring  a  collecting-vat  charge  to  a  leaching 
vat,  the  excavator,  Conveyors  1,  2,  3  or  4,  5,  3  and  the 
Class  Z-S  Distributor,  are  used. 

After  starting  the  equipment  in  any  of  these  opera- 
tions, it  runs  automatically,  and  should  the  operator  fail 
to  return  at  the  proper  time  it  will  automatically  stop. 


y    — 


/.    ■.- 


Jr.    5 
..    y 


o 


Chapter  XI. 


The  Mineral  Development  Company. — Capital  and  Directorate. — 
The  Nueva  Luz. — The  Mother  Lode  and  the  Nopal  Veins. — 
The  Vein  Systems. — Former  Erratic  Workings. — Bookkeeping 
in  the  Olden  Days. — The  Government's  Share;  How  was  it 
Computed.^ — The  Shaft. — Its  Cost  and  Time  of  Construction. 
— The  La  Torre  Mines. — Bright  Prospects  Ahead. — The  Work 
of  the  Future. — The  La  Sorda,  and  its  Present  Development. — 
The  La  Planta. 

THE  Mineral  Development  Company  of  Guana- 
juato and  New  York  is  composed  of  a  number 
of  gentlemen  nearly  all  of  whom  are  members — 
and  distinguished  members — of  the  mining  or  kindred 
engineering  professions  in  the  United  States.  It  is  but 
seldom  that  one  finds  a  financial  syndicate  composed  al- 
most exclusively  of  such  professional  men,  and  it  should 
prove  of  considerable  benefit  to  the  mining  district  gen- 
erally, for  many  reasons. 

The  Mineral  Development  Company  acts  up  to  its 
name,  for  it  actively  "develops"  the  properties  which  it 
acquired  by  means  of  its  own  money,  through  the  avail- 
able professional  knowledge  possessed  by  its  own  mem- 
bers, and  upon  a  system  which  one  may  accept  for 
granted  is  the  best  for  the  purposes. 

The  capital  of  the  Development  Company  is  $1,000,- 
000  (say  £200,000),  of  which  less  than  $600,000  has 
been  issued.  It  is  not  intended  to  increase  this  issue  un- 
less the  prospects  of  the  various  virgin  properties  war- 
rant the  company  in  extending  their  operations.  The 
shares  are  of  a  par  value  of  $50.00,  and  there  is  but  one 

Page  153 


154  Mexico's  Treasurc-House 


class  in  issue.  The  Directors  are  as  follows:  President, 
Mr.  Theodore  Dwight,  M.  A.  I.  M.  ISI.  and  I.  and  S.  I.; 
Vice-Presidents,  Captain  W.  Murdoch  Wiley  and  R.  V. 
Norris;  L.  H.  Taylor,  Jr.;  Mr.  J.  P.  Whitney;  Major 
Charles  E.  Lydecker;  Dr.  Joseph  Struthers;  Mr.  Vir- 
don  and  INIr.  J.  E.  Van  Doren,  Secretary  and  Treasurer. 
The  offices  of  the  company  are  at  99  John  street,  Xew 
York;  Dover,  Delaware,  and  at  the  mines  at  Nueva 
Luz,  Guanajuato,  iSIexico.  Mr.  H.  H.  Miller,  E.  M., 
is  Resident  INIanager. 

Certainly  the  choice  of  properties  made  as  a  start  has 
been  a  singularly  happy  one.  Although  they  have  their 
way  yet  to  make,  and  their  history  is  as  yet  practically  an 
unopened  book,  the  prospects  of  the  company's  holdings 
are  sufficiently  encouraging;  and  the  splendid  reputa- 
tion of  their  immediate  neighbors  is  so  suggestive,  that 
no  fear  need  be  entertained  of  the  ultimate  results.  As 
will  be  seen,  the  ground  occupied  by  the  Mineral  Devel- 
opment Company  is  in  part  historic,  on  account  of  what 
has  been  produced  all  around,  there  being  a  record  of 
over  $800,000,000  to  the  credit  of  the  INIother  Vein  at 
Guanajuato  and  which  passes  through  the  properties  of 
the  company.  They  have  this  also  to  aid  them,  the  fact 
that  tliis  truly  remarkable  vein  of  ore  has  never  failed,  in 
all  the  300  years  and  more  that  it  has  been  worked,  to 
yield  paying  ore  in  return  for  a  well  conceived  and  intel- 
ligently carried  out  system  of  development.  The  com- 
pany are  the  owners  of  the  following  properties:  The 
Nueva  Luz,  about  one  mile  distant  from  the  City  of 
Guanajuato;  the  La  Torre  mines,  which  are  about  five 
miles  distant,  in  addition  to  La  Planta  and  La  Sorda,  the 
former  on  the  Mother  Vein  and  the  latter  on  the  Sierra 


The  Nueva  Luz  155 


system.  The  first  named  (Nueva  Luz)  covers  an  area 
of  72  acres,  and  the  second  (La  Torre)  has  a  superficial 
area  of  about  90  acres. 

The  amount  of  ground  which  is  occupied  by  Nueva 
Luz  mine,  as  ah'eady  stated,  is  some  72  acres,  situated  in 
the  angle  between  the  Valenciana  and  the  Nopal,  as  also 
mentioned.  On  the  Nueva  Luz  the  rich  ore  bodies  dip 
directly  from  the  Valenciana,  entering  it  at  an  angle  of 
45  degrees,  and  at  a  depth  of  1,950  feet  below  the  sur- 
face at  a  point  opposite  the  general  shaft  of  the  Valenci- 
ana. The  ore  bodies  of  the  Mother  Lode  continue 
down,  and  have  been  stoped  almost  to  a  side  line  of  the 
Nueva  Luz,  say  about  150  feet.  As  far  as  human  judg- 
ment goes,  and  in  accordance  with  all  reasonable  suppo- 
sition, the  same  rich  ore  bodies  must  continue  down  and 
into  Nueva  Luz  ground. 

Then,  again,  there  are  the  Nopal  veins  which  run  di- 
rectly through  the  property  of  Nueva  Luz,  these  same 
veins  having  yielded  ore  as  far  down  as  they  have  been 
followed  on  the  latter  company's  ground  about  700-800 
feet  and  representing  conditions — and  consequently  fu- 
ture prospects  of  richness — identical  with  those  of  the 
Nopal  mine.  Between  the  years  1860  and  1880  the  No- 
pal mine,  by  the  aid  of  horse  whims  and  the  patio  pro- 
cess, produced  over  eight  million  dollars  in  silver  and 
gold,  following  the  ore  shoots  to  depths  of  700  feet  be- 
low this  smaller  vein  to  reach  the  limits  of  the  surface. 
It  required  less  depth  in  profitable  work  with  the  old 
primitive  mining  methods  than  in  the  larger  and  richer 
Mother  Lode  mines. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  there  are  three  different  and  dis- 
tinct systems  of  veins  known  to  traverse  the  Nueva  Luz 


15G  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

ground.  The  first,  the  INIother  Lode  system,  to  which 
the  Xopal  vein  belongs,  runs  from  northwest  to  south- 
east and  dips  southwest  (from  N.  45  degrees  W.  to  S. 
45  degrees  S.  W. )  The  JNIother  Lode,  on  the  other  hand, 
is  itself  one  of  three  parallel  vein  systems  which  course  in 
a  northwest  and  southwest  direction,  being  well  defined 
and  having  huge  outcroppings  which  may  be  traced  with 
ease  for  many  miles.  In  a  linear  extent  of  10,000  feet 
tliis  lode  has  been  productive,  its  richest  output  having 
been  within  0,500  feet  along  it. 

The  second  system  of  veins  on  the  Nueva  Luz  is  a 
transverse  one,  running  from  southwest  to  northeast 
and  dipping  southeast.  These  veins  strike  across  the 
first  named  at  almost  right  angles,  having  on  them  the 
veins  of  JNIanon  and  Nueva  Luz,  and  upon  which  the 
tunnels  of  the  same  names  are  run,  and  of  which  mention 
is  made  later  on. 

The  third  system  is  that  to  which  the  Flat  (of  Nueva 
Luz)  and  the  Santa  Inez  (of  the  Nopal)  belong. 

The  first  ore  struck  was  on  the  ground  at  the  intersec- 
tion of  the  ]\Ianon  vein  with  the  cross-vein  of  the  second 
sj^stem,  west  of  the  Canada  de  San  INIatias.  Upon  its  dis- 
covery, this  ore  was  followed  dow^n  until  the  workers 
were  driven  out  by  the  water,  and,  although  a  small  one 
only,  the  shoot  yielded  some  very  promising  ore.  How^ 
far  the  ore  goes  at  present  is  unknown,  as  the  water 
renders  it  impossible  to  make  a  proper  investigation. 

The  ground  here  seems  to  have  been  worked  in  a  very 
erratic  manner  by  its  owner,  one  JNIanuel  Godoy.  He 
appears  to  have  preserved  no  records  of  what  work  he 
did  or  of  what  it  cost  him  to  do  it,  very  unlike  the  ma- 
jority of  the  mine  owners  of  the  Guanajuato  and  other 


The  Nopal  Vein  157 


Mexican  mining  districts,  who  kept  voluminous  records 
of  their  transactions,  not  always  reliable,  perhaps,  since 
some  of  them,  at  least,  maintained  one  set  of  books  for 
their  own  information  and  another  for  that  of  the  Gov- 
ernment officials,  who  based  the  amount  of  taxation  upon 
what  they  were  shown  in  the  books  which  were  presented 
for  their  inspection.  I  have,  however,  seen  records  going- 
back  further  than  a  century,  and  kept  in  a  most  neat  and 
business  like  manner;  who  can  say,  however,  at  this  stage 
— and  who  then,  for  the  matter  of  that — that  the  figures 
provided  are  reliable?  But  Senor  Godoy  kept  no  ac- 
counts at  all,  and  it  would  be  interesting  to  know  how  he 
managed  to  square-up  with  the  government  of  his  day. 

The  Nopal  vein  has  yielded  some  good  ore,  which  has 
been  worked  to  a  length  of  1,000  feet.  The  owners  pur- 
sued methods  of  their  own,  there  being  no  systematic 
manner  of  working  the  vein  or  making  a  continuous 
stope,  large  patches  of  unbroken  ground  being  left  be- 
tween the  various  workings.  However,  the  Nopal  vein 
was  followed  into  the  property  of  Nueva  Luz,  and  a 
quantity  of  ore  taken  out  for  which  the  trespassers  had 
to  pay  $14,000  as  damages.  Thereafter  a  strong  iron 
gate  was  put  up  at  the  junction  of  the  two  properties 
underground,   which  marked  the  boundary-line. 

One  particularly  favorable  feature  possessed  by  the 
Nopal  vein  is  its  persistency  in  strike  and  output.  The 
outcrops  are  clearly  visible  throughout  the  territory  of 
the  Nopal  and  that  of  the  Nueva  Luz  mines,  and  for 
a  length  of  more  than  a  mile.  Reliable  authorities  con- 
sider that  from  these  surface  indications  on  the  last 
named  mine,  it  is  probable  that  these  veins  will  make 
ore  bodies  in  depth  of  that  mine  similar — or  practically 


1 J  8  Mexico's  Treasure-House 


similar — to  those  formed  in  them  on  the  Nopal  mine. 
It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  highest  values  made  were 
those  almost  1,000  feet  distant  from  the  Nopal  line,  the 
ore  at  this  point  being  rich  in  gold. 

In  deciding  to  develop  the  Nueva  Luz  property,  very 
careful  plans  were  prepared  after  a  thorough  examina- 
tion of  the  ground  had  been  made  by  more  than  one 
competent  mining  engineer.  The  outcome  of  the  in- 
vestigation was  the  decision  to  sink  a  deep  shaft  in- 
tended to  cut  the  Valenciana  ore  shoot  in  a  depth  belo'w 
the  old  workings.  Here  I  may  mention  that  the  Valen- 
ciana mine  itself  has  a  shaft  down  1,800  feet  vertically, 
and  this  has  a  diameter  of  32  feet.  The  shaft  being  car- 
ried a  little  further  down — some  seven  feet,  making  the 
total  depth  1,807  feet — was  abandoned  by  the  then 
owners  on  account  of  the  cost  of  unwatering  by  means 
of  the  inefficient  methods  then  available. 

The  INIineral  Development  Company  intend  continu- 
ing the  work  w  here  the  previous  owners  left  off.  There 
are  ore  bodies  going,  as  has  been  proved  beyond  any 
reasonable  doubt,  into  the  Nueva  Luz  ground,  and  this 
company's  shaft  will,  as  I  have  said,  cut  the  Valenciana 
ore  shoot.  The  shaft,  originally  measuring  11x11  feet, 
has  been  converted  into  a  modern  3-compartment  shaft 
measuring  5x16  feet.  It  is  already  down  416  feet,  and 
the  total  depth  to  which  it  is  anticipated  the  shaft  will  go 
is  2,920  feet.  This  will  be  at  the  centre  and  at  the  lowest 
available  point  on  the  Nueva  Luz  ground.  As  the  shaft 
goes  down  it  will  cut  the  veins  of  the  Nopal  group  as 
well  as  the  Santa  Inez  vein,  this  latter  being  met  with  at 
about  800  feet  below  the  surface.  Cross-cuts  and  drifts 
will  then  be  run  out  at  the  most  appropriate  points,  in  or- 


JLa  Torre  Mines  159 


der  to  develop  these  several  well-proven  veins.  The 
shaft,  as  left  by  the  former  owners,  was  in  good  condi- 
tion, and  has  been  furnished  now  with  a  50  horse-power 
double  drum  electric  hoist,  the  shaft  being  actively  pro- 
ceeded with  day  and  night. 

This  shaft  will  probably  be  used  in  connection  with 
the  Nopal  system  of  veins,  and  an  additional  one  sunk 
for  the  purpose  of  working  the  Mother  Vein,  a  cross  cut 
being  planned  from  the  2,300  foot  level,  equivalent  to 
about  2,500  feet  when  compared  with  the  Valenciana,  as 
the  collar  is  about  200  feet  lower  than  the  latter. 

The  character  of  the  rock  encountered  is  favorable 
for  working,  since  it  is  not  hard  drilling  and  stands  well 
without  the  necessity  of  timbering.  A  modern  electric 
pump  is  capable  of  handling  all  the  water  which  the 
shaft  may  make.  To  reach  the  Mother  Lode  vein  will 
require  about  two  years  continual  work.  The  total  cost 
will  probably  be  about  $200,000  (Mex.) ,  or  say  £20,000. 

I  now  propose  to  speak  of  the  Mineral  Development 
Company's  second  important  mining  properties  known 
as  the  La  Torre  mines,  which  are  situated  about  five 
miles  southeast  of  the  City  of  Guanajuato.  The  princi- 
pal vein  passing  through  the  property  is  once  again  the 
celebrated  Mother  Vein.  The  greatest  bonanzas  ever 
encountered  in  the  Mother  Vein  were  those  at  the  inter- 
section of  the  hanging  wall  veins.  In  this  La  Torre 
property,  there  unquestionably  intersects,  judging  from 
its  du-ect  course,  the  Carmen  gold  vein,  which  is  now  in 
bonanza  on  a  property  within  half  a  mile  distant  f roni 
the  La  Torre  mines.  This  Carmen  mine  was  lately  sold 
in  New  York,  and  the  company  is  in  active  operation 
to-day,  rapidly  blocking  out  enormous  quantities  of  rich 
gold  ore. 


160  Medico's  Treasure-House 

The  La  Torre  mines  cover  a  superficial  area  of  about 
90  acres,  the  claim  running  about  4,000  feet  (almost  a 
mile)  on  the  strike  of  the  ^Mother  Vein,  and  having  a 
-width,  and  consequently  a  vertical  de^Jth  on  the  vein,  of 
from  1,000  to  1,500  feet  (the  vein  dipping  45  degrees 
from  the  horizontal).  The  surface  is  undulating,  there 
being  a  gradual  rise  towards  the  south  end  of  the  claim, 
and  the  ground  slopes  to  the  southwest  with  the  dip  of 
the  vein,  thus  affording  opportunities  for  shafts  sunk 
cutting  the  vein  on  the  dip  with  comparatively  slight 
amount  of  sinking  in  good  depth,  as  compared  to  the 
outcrop  of  the  vein.  The  outcropping  of  the  INIother 
Vein  is  distinctly  visible  to  the  eye  through  the  en- 
tire claim,  presenting  an  impressive  appearance,  some 
40  or  50  feet  in  width.  Sampling  of  the  outcrop  shows 
the  vein  to  be  mineralized,  even  at  surface  (which  is  quite 
rare  for  this  vein),  but  no  development  work  has  ever 
been  done,  and  the  property  presents  an  absolutely  vir- 
gin piece  of  ground. 

For  two  centuries  the  work  on  this  Mother  Vein  was 
confined  to  the  central  group  of  mines,  comprising  those 
between,  and  including,  the  Valenciana  and  Sirena.  Dur- 
ing the  19th  centurj^  however,  the  development  work 
was  pushed  south  and  the  Cedro  mines  opened  up,  yield- 
ing many  millions.  These  mines  are  now  in  operation, 
owned  by  a  powerful  American  corporation,  and  are 
producing  handsome  profits.  Later,  the  Cardones 
mines,  which  are  still  further  to  the  south,  gave  a  bo- 
nanza of  high-grade  gold  ores;  and,  still  further  to  the 
south,  the  La  Union  Tunnel  (immediately  adjoining 
the  La  Torre  mines  to  the  north)  has  been  opened  up 
within  the  past  ten  years  with  the  result  of  now  yielding 


I 


SlIAl    r     AM)     Kl.KC  TKK       IIoIST     AT      rilK     XlKVA      \  A  /.     MlM 
IJ.loi.iriw-  tc.  Uk-  Miiural  l).v.l..|.nHril  (  ....  ( iiian.iju;.lo 
Plate  :{(i.] 


1S<'<-  i)ajr<" 


KiO. 


La  Union  Tunnel  161 


very  good  profits  both  in  gold  and  silver,  although,  as 
yet,  only  partially  developed.  It  has  been  worked  in 
the  slowest  manner,  being  owned  and  controlled  by  one 
man,  who  is  not  a  miner,  his  work  consisting  principally 
of  a  tunnel  on  the  vein  and  from  this  tunnel  level, 
two  winzes  on  pay  ore,  in  the  sinking  of  which  there 
was  an  actual  production  for  21  months  (as  per  copy 
of  all  mill  returns)  of  2,469  metric  tons,  having  an  aver- 
age assay  value  of  31  ounces  silver  and  28/100  ounces 
gold  per  ton.  The  average  value  per  ton  was  $21.10 
U.  S.  Cy.  for  the  full  width  of  the  pay  ore,  which 
is  about  8  feet,  although  the  width  of  the  entire  vein  in 
this  property,  as  proved  by  several  crosscuts  at  the  tun- 
nel level,  is  60  feet  from  wall  to  wall.  All  of  this  ore 
came  from  only  two  parallel  winzes  sunk  below  tunnel 
level,  the  greatest  depth  of  which  was  60  meters.  At  the 
point  at  which  this  mineral  was  found,  no  crosscuts  had 
then  been  made  towards  the  f ootwall,  all  the  ore  extract- 
ed being  from  the  hanging  wall.  The  grade  ol  the  ore 
was  materially  increasing  in  value  with  dej^th,  notably 
so  in  its  gold  value.  This  was  the  condition  of  the  La 
Union  Tunnel  about  January  1,  1902. 

All  this  property  is  immediately  adjoining  the  I^a 
Torre  mines  on  the  same  vein.  Beyond  any  question 
this  vein  continues  to  be  mineralized  through  the  La 
Torre  property.  The  work  to  be  done  in  exploring  the 
property  consists  of  a  tunnel  to  be  run  in  from  the  hang- 
ing wall,  to  cut  the  vein  at  an  approximate  depth  of  200 
feet  below  surface.  This  will  cost  about  $3,000  Mex- 
ican currency;  various  inclines  investigating  the  vein  at 
favorable  points  should  not  cost  more  than  $3,000  Mex- 
ican currency  in  addition.    With  the  information  gained 


162  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

from  these  explorations  a  shaft  could  be  sunk  to  400 
feet  vertical  depth,  which  would  cut  the  vein  on  its  dip 
600  feet  below  its  outcrop,  and  this  could  be  done  on  the 
remaining  $14.,000  of  the  $20,000  ^Mexican  currency 
which  must  be  spent  on  the  development  of  the  property 
under  the  terms  of  sale.  One  or  two  cheap  buildings,  a 
horse  whim,  cable  and  horses,  are  included  in  the  above 
estimate  of  expending  $20,000  ^Mexican  currency. 

The  JNIineral  Development  Company  has  done  no 
work  on  the  La  Torre  property  since  January,  1905, 
merely  proving  the  vein  for  from  500  to  600  feet. 

La  Sorda  mine  is  a  virgin  prospect  which  the  com- 
pany is  now  exploring.  It  is  on  the  Sierra  system,  and 
while  the  openings  have  not  yet  passed  through  the 
leached  ground,  stringers  running  very  high  in  values 
have  been  encountered.  The  three  parallel  veins  outcrop- 
ping on  this  property  are  strongly  defined,  and  are  of 
considerable  width.  Until  further  development  has 
taken  place,  little  more  can  be  said.  The  property  em- 
braces 100  pertenencias,  or  say  100  hectares=247  acres. 
The  La  Planta  property  belonging  to  the  same  com- 
pany is  at  present  also  undeveloped. 

The  Development  Company  prides  itself  upon  the 
fact  that  it  has  not  found  it  necessary  to  issue  any  kind 
of  advertising  matter  nor  yet  a  circular  for  the  pur- 
pose of  soliciting  subscriptions  among  the  investing 
public.  Several  applications  from  would-be  investors 
have,  it  is  said,  on  the  other  hand  been  declined,  such  ad- 
ditional subscriptions  as  have  been  accepted  being  those 
of  the  original  organizers  and  their  friends,  mostly  be- 
longing to  the  engineering  professions. 


Chapter  XII. 


The  Guanajuato  Amalgamated  Gold  Mines. — Some  Celebrated 
Properties. — The  Company's  Directorate  and  Capital. — The 
Old  Workings. — Mexican  Methods. — The  New  Management. — 
The  Shafts. — Geological  Peculiarities. — Enormous  Ore  Bodies. 
— Samples  and  Their  Yield. — Colossal  Dumps  and  Their 
Values. — Underground  Work. — What  Has  Been  Done. — 
Future  Developments. — Dangerous  Working. — Clean  Record 
of  "No  Accidents,"  to  Date. — Some  Heavy  Work  Ahead. — 
Capable  and  Efficient  Management. 

THE  La  Luz  district  of  Guanajuato  is  one  of 
the  most  famous  and  historically  interesting  in 
the  whole  camp.  In  1842  the  great  "bonanza" 
commenced  and  continued  for  a  period  of  several  consec- 
utive years.  Hundreds  of  miners,  with  the  usual  shifting 
and  rolling-stone  propensities  of  their  kind,  left  the 
other  districts  for  La  Luz,  and  for  a  few  months,  at 
least,  the  paucity  of  labor  was  a  serious  matter  for  the 
rest  of  the  Guanajuato  mines.  The  town  of  La  Luz  be- 
came a  beehive  of  industry  and  the  liveliest  in  the  State, 
the  population  growing  from  a  mere  handful  to  a  for- 
midable army  of  over  20,000  souls  in  a  few  months'  time. 
The  annual  output  from  this  rich  district  amounted  to 
several  millions  of  dollars.  The  town  to-day  is  still  one 
of  the  most  picturesque  that  I  have  seen  in  the  whole  of 
Mexico,  with  its  exteriorally  beautiful  old  church,  and 
occupies  a  position  which  practically  overlooks  the  en- 
tire country.  From  the  full  panoramic  picture  which  I 
give  of  the  country,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  position  of 
La  Luz  is  ahnost  unique.    But  the  glories  of  La  Luz 

Page  163 


164  Mejoico's  Treasurc-House 

commenced  to  wane  when  the  star  of  the  Rul  mines  be- 
gan to  rise,  and  in  or  about  the  year  18G0  one  heard  little 
more  of  La  Luz,  but  nevertheless  it  continued  to  distin- 
guish itself  as  a  good  producer  for  some  time  to  come. 

The  names  of  "Jesus  ]Maria,"  "Villarino,"  "Sangre  de 
Cristo,"  "Providencia,"  "Remedios"  and  "Dolores"  are 
all  historic  names,  and  these  mines  are  to-day  being  one 
by  one  redeveloped  and  opened  up  gradually  by  tlie 
Amalgamated  Gold  ]Mines  Company  of  Guanajuato, 
which  owns  them  all.  The  "Jesus  ;Maria"  in  particular 
has  a  remarkable  record  as  a  producer,  having  probably 
yielded  the  greatest  amount  of  value  in  proportion  to  its 
size  of  any  mine  in  ^Mexico.  The  group  worked  by  this 
company  is  known  under  the  title  of  "Xegociacion  de  la 
Paz,"  and  from  first  to  last  the  mines  enumerated  above 
are  said  to  have  produced  something  like  $25,000,000,  or, 
say,  £5,000,000. 

The  Amalgamated  Gold  Mines  Company  is  an  Amer- 
ican corporation,  promoted  and  financed  by  the  Colonial 
Securities  Company  of  New  York,  and  having  its  head 
offices  also  in  that  city.  The  directorate  is  composed  as 
follows:  Mr.  Albert  J.  Adams,  President;  ]Mr.  Rich- 
ard W.  Cannon,  Vice-President;  ]\Ir.  George  Karsch, 
Treasurer  and  Secretar>\  The  management  at  La  Luz 
consists  of  ^Ir.  Lawrence  P.  Adams,  JNIanager  in  Chief; 
Mr.  John  F.  Smith,  Superintendent;  INIr.  E.  Harris, 
Chief  ^liiier,  and  ]Mr.  V.  B.  Sherrod  as  Constructing 
and  Mining  Engineer. 

The  company's  capital  is  $3,000,000,  divided  as  fol- 
lows: Purchasing  and  financing  the  mines  $1,650,000; 
unissued  stock  used  for  working  capital,  <^c.,  $1,350,000. 
It  is  hoped  that  in  due  course  of  time  the  ore  in  sight  and 


La   'roiMM.   Mini:. 

I'ropcrlv  (.f  llir  MiiiriMl   Divclopnxnt  Co..  Cuaiiajii.-ito 


Plate  37.] 


Si'f  i)age  ir)2. 


Old  Machinery  Replaced  165 

ready  for  treatment  will  yield  more  than  $5,000,000,  but 
this  is  exclusive  of  the  ore  below  the  present  level.  The 
estimate  is  made  up  as  follows: 

Ore  dumps,  amounting  to  250,000  tons $875,000 

Mine  fillings,  250,000  tons 1,625,000 

Ore  in  sight,  300,000  tons  @  $15.00  per  ton       3,300,000 


Total:     $5,800,000 
Less  contingency  @  10%  580,000 


*  Net  total:     $5,220,000 

These  profits  can  only  commence  to  accumulate  when 
the  mill,  now  being  constructed,  is  completed.  This 
will  be  about  the  end  of  the  current  j^ear,  the  work  being 
extremely  well  and  substantially  carried  out.  In  fact  I 
have  not  seen  better  constructional  work  at  any  mine  in 
the  world  than  that  being  put  in  at  the  Jesus  Maria  mine 
at  La  Luz. 

The  machinery  used  by  the  former  owners  was  not  of 
a  very  valuable  or  useful  nature,  and  an  entirely  new  in- 
stallation is  being  made.  Within  recent  years  a  small 
steam  hoist  was  installed,  and  still  more  recently  an  elec- 
tric hoist  of  30  horse-power  was  put  in  at  the  Villarino 
shaft ;  but  this  did  not  help  matters  much,  for  the  best 
stopes  were  far  below  the  bottom  of  the  Villarino  shaft, 
and  the  ore,  waste  and  water  still  had  to  be  handled  by 
hand  labor  up  more  than  200  feet  of  ladders  before  the 
hoist  could  be  of  service. 

The  ground  is  held  by  mining  titles  from  the  Mexican 
Government,  the  following  being  a  list  of  the  claims  and 
their  areas: 


166  Mexico's  Treasnre-House 

I.     Title  No.  1451   for  La  Paz 

^Nline  containing 14.2572  Hectares 

II.     Title  No.  2562  for  La  Paz 

y  Anexas,  containing.  .  .  .      13.6270  Hectares 
III.     Title  No.  3590   for   La   Paz 

y  Anexas,  containing.  .  .  .      18.1520  Hectares 


Total:     46.0362  Hectares 

In  addition  to  the  above,  17  hectares  have  been  re- 
cently denounced  to  cover  the  dip  of  the  vein.  This 
claim,  known  as  "El  Atleta,"  is  still  pending  in  the  Gov- 
ernment Alining  Agency.  The  present  management  has 
already  done  some  good  work.  Five  shafts  have  been 
sunk  on  the  property,  three  of  which  are  now  open,  and 
any  one  of  which  could  be  made  into  a  working  shaft  for 
modern  hoisting  methods.  Of  these  three,  that  called 
"Providencia"  is  about  10  feet  in  diameter  and  500  feet 
deep.  Another  called  "Jesus  IMaria"  is  about  12  feet  in 
diameter  and  850  feet  deep,  and  this  is  the  best  situated 
for  operating  and  developing  the  mine  in  connection 
with  a  modern  milling  plant.  A  third,  known  as  "Vil- 
larino,"  is  about  12  feet  in  diameter  and  600  feet  deep, 
and  also  excellently  located  for  use  as  an  auxiliary  shaft, 
should  one  be  required.  There  are  a  great  many  drifts, 
crosscuts,  etc.,  driven  in  the  usual  jMexican  fashion.  In 
addition  to  these,  there  is  the  usual  Mexican  equipment 
of  horse  whims,  hand  tools,  rails,  cars,  houses,  etc.,  a 
good  deal  of  which  can  be  profitably  utilized  in  modern- 
izing the  equipment. 


(NoTK. — A   hectare    is    10,000   square   meters,   or   2.471    acres; 
46.0362  hectares  being  equal  to  113.7555  acres.) 


La  Luz  Vein  167 


A  few  words  concerning  the  geological  formation  of 
this  country  may  be  useful.  In  brief,  the  veins  are  strong 
fissures  in  igneous  rocks  called  diorite,  the  diorite  lying 
within  a  large  field  of  andesite,  porphyry,  etc.  The  vein 
filling  is  quartz  strongly  impregnated  with  calcite,  which 
in  spots  amounts  to  over  15  per  cent,  of  the  gangue.  The 
silver  occurs  principally  as  the  simple  sulphides,  occa- 
sionally associated  with  antimony.  The  gold  is  found 
in  small  particles  of  pyrites  scattered  throughout  the 
gangue  and  as  free  gold,  rather  finely  divided.  The  prin- 
cipal vein  system  is  formed  by  the  junction  of  the  two 
veins,  known  as  "La  Luz"  vein  and  "Los  Plateros"  vein, 
and  dips  to  the  west  at  an  angle  of  about  50  degrees, 

The  La  Luz  vein  has  a  strike  of  about  N.  12  degrees 
W.  and  dips  to  the  west  at  an  angle  of  about  57  degrees. 
The  Plateros  vein  has  a  strike  of  about  N.  40  degrees  W., 
forming  a  junction  with  La  Luz  vein  at  a  distance  of 
about  1,000  feet  south  of  the  north-end  lines  of  the 
property,  the  junction  at  surface  being  between  Provi- 
dencia  and  Jesus  Maria.  Owing  to  the  difference  be- 
tween the  dip  and  the  strike  of  the  two  veins,  the  junc- 
tion rakes  to  the  south  on  the  dip,  and  at  a  point  about 
800  feet  below  the  surface  the  junction  is  about  400  feet 
farther  south  than  at  the  surface.  The  largest  ore  bodies 
have  been  formed  near  or  at  this  intersection,  and  there 
is  every  reason  to  expect  that  this  junction  will  continue 
to  supply  large  quantities  of  ore  to  a  much  greater  depth 
than  has  yet  been  attained  in  this  district.  From  this 
junction  north,  the  La  Luz  vein  passes  successively 
through  "Los  Locos,"  "La  Trinidad,"  "El  Refugio," 
and  La  Luz  group  of  mines,  which  have  had  a  combined 
production  of  $240,000,000,  exclusive  of  La  Paz  group. 


108  Meccico's  Treasnre-Hoiise 


La  Luz  vein  is  unknown  south  of  this  junction,  and 
Avithin  La  Paz  boundaries,  but  is  supposed  to  be  first 
seen  to  the  south  in  the  adjoining  mine  called  "Santo 
Nino."  The  Plateros  vein  is  but  little  known  outside  of 
La  Paz  boundaries,  although  it  has  produced  immense 
quantities  of  high-grade  silver  ores  from  within  La  Paz 
ground.  It  is  the  more  recently  formed  of  the  two  veins, 
and  probably  "faulted"  La  Luz  vein  in  crossing  it.  The 
gangue  from  Plateros  vein  is  remarkably  high  in  calcite. 
There  are  other  veins  on  the  property,  most  of  which 
are  probably  secondary  fissures  uniting  with  the  princi- 
pal veins  near  the  junction.  These  veins  have  yielded 
good  ore  bodies  in  places ;  although  they  have  been  but 
little  explored. 

Naturally  all  the  good  ore  in  the  upper  workings  of 
the  ore  bodies  so  far  discovered  has  been  stoped  out. 
This  is  generally  the  case  in  Mexico,  as  the  Mexican 
system  of  mining  does  not  include  the  blocking  out  of 
ore  reserves.  The  ore  stoped  from  these  workings  was 
roughly  sorted  under  ground,  leaving  the  lower  grade 
ore  as  fillings  in  the  old  stopes,  and  further  sorted  by 
hand,  breaking  and  washing  after  reaching  the  surface. 
The  result  of  this  system  of  mining  is  that  large  quanti- 
ties of  low  grade,  but  profitalile,  ore  are  lying  in  the 
old  stopes,  and  large  dumps  of  the  same  material  are 
lying  on  the  surface.  This  material  without  further 
sorting  can  be  treated  at  a  good  profit  by  modern 
methods. 

The  Providencia  shaft,  located  near  the  north  end  of 
the  property,  is  the  most  recent  of  any  of  the  shafts, 
having  been  sunk  since  1898.  It  was  sunk  to  develop 
the  La  Luz  vein  on  the  north  end  of  the  property,  and  is 


l^4^#-'- 


ft. 


3  ;; 

X     •  I 


Some  Good  Results  169 


in  the  neighborhood  of  600  feet  in  depth.    The  La  Luz 
vein  at  this  end  of  the  mine  passes  out  of  La  Paz 
ground  and  into  that  of  Los  Locos  ground  on  the  dip 
at  a  vertical  depth  of  approximately  750  feet.     At  a 
depth  of  about  2,000  feet  the  vein  again  passes  out  of 
Los  Locos  and  into  La  Paz  ground,  the  former  being  a 
small  area  of  ground  lying  partially  within  the  bound- 
aries of  La  Paz  property.    At  a  short  distance  farther 
south,  however,  the  La  Paz  ground  covers  the  entire 
dip  of  the  vein  to  a  depth  of  a  Httle  more  than  2,000 
feet  and  the  dip  is  still  further  protected  by  claims,  the 
titles  to  which  are  now  pending  in  the  Government  De- 
partmento  de  Fomento.     Something  like  800  feet  of 
drifting  and  exploring  have  been  done  in  the  territory 
adjacent  to  this  shaft,  with  practically  no  stoping.    An 
average  of  four  samples  taken  from  a  dump  of  15,000 
tons  of  ore  mined  from  these  workings  yielded  the  fol- 
lowing results:     Silver,  $2.48;  gold,  $2.34;  making  a 
total  of  $4.82 — say,  19  s.  per  metric  ton.     The  ore  in 
this  dump  having  been  sorted  before  having  been  put 
on  the  dump,  does  not  represent  the  average  value  of 
the  ore  taken  from  drifting  and  development  work  in 
this  portion  of  the  mine.    An  average  of  six  samples  rep- 
resenting the  width  of  the  vein  in  this  part  of  the  mine 
gave  the  following  results:  Width  of  vein,  4.7  feet;  sil- 
ver, $2.21;  gold,  $5.68;  making  a  total  of  $7.89,  say 
£l/l\  per  metric  ton. 

The  Jesus  Maria  shaft  is  a  vertical  shaft  which  is 
sunk  in  the  hanging  wall,  and  which  cuts  the  La  Luz  and 
Plateros  veins  on  their  dip  at  approximately  700  feet  be- 
low the  collar  of  the  shaft.  The  shaft  passes  through  the 
veins  at  their  intersection  with  each  other,  and  at  a  point 


170  Mc.vico's  Trcasu  re-House 

where  the  ore  bod}-  was  wide.  In  later  years,  the  INIexi- 
cans  stoped  out  this  ore  as  far  as  possible,  but  they  left 
no  shaft  pillars,  with  the  result  that  the  shaft  has  caved  in 
at  this  point,  and  the  workings  in  its  neighborhood  are 
generally  inaccessible.  The  ore  chute  formed  at  this 
junction  was  about  600  feet  in  length,  and  in  that  por- 
tion which  is  still  accessible  it  averages  9.8  feet  in  width. 
The  average  of  27  samples  taken  across  the  vein  at  va- 
rious parts  of  these  workings  gave  the  following  re- 
sults: Width  of  vein,  9.8  feet;  silver,  $2.98;  gold,  $5.60; 
making  a  total  of  $8.50  (say  £1/16)  per  metric  ton. 
There  are  three  levels  in  the  bottom  of  this  shaft  which 
are  now  filled  with  water  and  inaccessible;  but  the 
sampling  showed  no  change  in  values  between  the  upper 
and  lowest  accessible  levels  of  this  ore  body.  It  is 
claimed  by  all  the  old  employes  of  the  former  operators 
that  the  width  and  values  are  maintained  in  the  lowest 
levels. 

The  Villarino  shaft  is  located  about  328  meters 
south  of  the  Jesus  ^Nlaria  shaft,  and  intersects  the  vein 
at  a  point  south  of  the  large  ore  chute  above  described. 
The  workings  tributary  to  this  shaft  were  formerly 
known  as  "Sangre  de  Cristo,"  and  the  ore  was  formerly 
hoisted  through  the  old  San  Antonio  shaft.  The  ore 
body  in  the  upper  workings  of  the  mine  is  distinct,  and 
separated  from  the  Jesus  ]Maria  ore  chute  by  a  barren 
streak  in  the  vein.  As  this  ore  chute  is  at  right  angles 
to  the  strike  of  the  vein,  it  unites  with  the  Jesus  INIaria 
ore  chute  at  approximately  500  feet  below  surface,  form- 
ing one  continuous  ore  body  about  1,000  feet  in  length, 
and  extending  both  north  and  south  from  the  junction 
of  the  two  veins.    Twenty-six  samples  taken  across  the 


Estimated  Tonnage  171 


vein  in  the  various  accessible  drifts  and  winzes  gave  the 
following  results:  Width  of  vein,  8.6  feet;  silver,  $4.75; 
gold,  $3.32;  making  a  total  of  $8.07  (£l/12)  per 
metric  ton. 

The  Plateros  vein  north  of  the  junction  contained  a 
greater  percentage  of  its  values  in  silver  than  any  other 
portion  of  the  mine,  and  for  that  reason  was  more 
amenable  to  hand  sorting  and  treatment  by  the  old  patio 
process.  It  has,  therefore,  been  completely  worked  out 
to  water  level,  and  the  workings  are  now  filled  and 
inaccessible.  It  is  believed  that  in  the  drifts  below 
water  level  the  vein  carries  very  good  values  at  every 
point. 

Practically  all  of  the  old  stopes  at  or  near  the  junc- 
tion ore  body  are  filled  with  broken  ore  remaining  as 
waste  after  the  preliminary  underground  sorting.  These 
workings  are  accessible  only  in  those  places  where  drifts 
have  recently  been  spiled  through  the  old  caves,  and 
even  a  rough  estimate  of  tonnage  is  impossible.  An 
average  of  32  samples  taken  from  points  now  accessible 
gave  the  following  results:  Silver,  $5.15;  gold,  $5.31; 
making  a  total  of  $10.46  per  metric  ton.  Judging  from 
the  dimensions  of  those  parts  of  the  vein  now  accessible, 
a  conservative  estimate  would  place  the  tonnage  at  200,- 
000  metric  tons.  There  is  but  little  doubt  that  practi- 
cally all  of  this  ore  can  be  cheaply  and  safely  obtained, 
and  without  doubt  large  quantities  of  ore  will  be  found 
still  standing  in  these  stopes,  as  it  was  the  practice  of  the 
Mexicans  to  mine  the  better  grade  of  ore  only,  and  to 
leave  standing  that  portion  of  the  vein  which  was  found 
of  too  low  grade  for  the  old  patio  treatment. 


172  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

There  are  three  huge  dumps  on  this  company's  prop- 
erty and  which  are  comparatively  easy  to  measure  and 
sample,  and  one  other  very  much  older  dump.  The 
Jesus  JNIaria  Dump  was  estimated  by  cross  sectioning 
and  sampling,  the  following  being  an  average  of 
54  samples:  Tonnage,  260,000;  silver,  $2.70;  gold, 
$3.60;  making  a  total  of  $6.30  per  metric  ton.  The 
Villarino  Dump  contains  20,000  tons,  the  average  of 
seven  samples  being  as  follows:  Silver,  $2.05;  gold, 
$2.36;  total,  $4.41  per  metric  ton.  The  Providencia 
Dump  has  a  tonnage  of  15,000;  average  of  4  samples 
—silver,  $2.48;  gold,  $2.34;  making  a  total  of  $4.82 
per  metric  ton.  The  Remedios  Dump  has  a  tonnage  of 
12,000;  average  of  4  samples — silver,  $2.61 ;  gold,  $1.91 ; 
making  a  total  of  $4.52  per  metric  ton.  The  total  ton- 
nage of  broken  ore,  not  including  the  Villarino,  Provi- 
dencia, or  Remedios  Dumps,  is  as  follows: 

Finings,  200,000  tons  at  $10.46 $2,092,000.00 

Dumps,  260,000  tons  at       6.30 1,638,000.00 

Total,  460,000  tons  at  8.108 $3,730,000.00 

Approximately  40  per  cent,  of  the  above  values  is 
in  silver  and  60  per  cent,  in  gold.  These  ores  have  been 
successfully  treated  by  a  combination  of  cyaniding  and 
concentration  at  the  Purisima  cyanide  plant  (a  small 
custom  mill  in  Guanajuato),  and  experimental  tests  on 
a  laboratory  scale  have  confirmed  the  above  statement, 
giving  an  extraction  bj^  cyaniding  alone  of  over  70  per 
cent,  of  the  silver  and  90  per  cent,  of  the  gold,  or  an 
extraction  of  82  per  cent,  of  the  total  values.  This  ex- 
traction can  undoubtedly  be  increased  to  90  per  cent,  of 
the  total  values  by  the  use  of  amalgamating  plates  to 


y. 


/   ^. 


The  Value  of  a  Dmnp  173 


remove  the  coarse  gold,  and  of  concentrators  to  remove 
the  coarser  sulphides  before  cyaniding.  Calculating 
upon  the  above  basis,  the  following  is  an  estimate  of  the 
profit  that  ought  to  be  made  in  the  treatment  of  the 
dumps  and  fillings: 

Cost  of  drawing,  hoisting  and  tramir'ing 

of  200,000  tons  of  fillings  at  40c.  per  ton  $  80,000.00 
Crushing,  milling  and  cyaniding  at  $2.25 

per  ton 450,000.00 

Total  cost  of  treating  fillings $530,000.00 

Relying  upon  a  total  recovery  of  85  per  cent,  of  the 
gross  values,  there  would  be  recovered  in  bullion  from 
these  fillings  $1,778,200.00,  leaving  a  net  profit  from 
the  treatment  of  the  mine  fillings  of  $1,248,200.00  (say 
roughly  £250,000). 

Cost   of   loading   and   tramming   260,000 

tons  from  dump  to  mill  at  20c.  per  ton     $52,000.00 
Crushing,  milling  and  cyaniding  at  $2.25     585,000.00 


Total  cost  of  treating  dump $637,000.00 

A  recovery  of  85  per  cent,  of  the  gross  value  of  this 
dump  should  produce  in  bullion  $1,492,300.00,  leaving 
a  net  profit  of  $855,300.00,  making  a  total  net  profit 
from  the  treatment  of  dump  and  mine  fillings  of 
$2,103,500.00  (£420,700). 

The  first  underground  work  of  importance  under- 
taken was  the  timbering  of  the  Jesus  Maria  shaft,  on 
which  steady  progress  has  been  made  on  the  day  shift 
only,  and  has  now  reached  a  point  120  meters  from  sur- 
face. In  traversing  this  distance,  two  large  caves  had 
to  be  contended  with;  their  measurements  being  ap- 


174  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

proximately  75  x  40  x  20  feet  and  130  x  30  x  18  feet, 
Avhich,  after  deducting  measurement  of  displacement  of 
timber,  will  require  about  100,000  cubic  feet  of  filling. 
This  filling  is  now  being  done  with  debris  from  the  sur- 
face, which  is  conveyed  down  the  shaft  through  a  series 
of  wood  launders  or  boxes  joined  together  in  12-foot 
lengths.  These  two  caves  proved  to  be  large,  soft  decom- 
posed dioritic  porphyry  dikes,  having  approximately  the 
same  strike  and  dip  as  the  quartz  veins,  and  the  water 
they  carry  in  the  wet  season  being  undoubtedly  the  chief 
agent  in  making  these  caves  their  present  dimensions. 
The  accomplishment  of  this  work  down  to  the  120  meter 
point  without  a  mishap  of  any  kind  is  decidedly  a  mat- 
ter for  congratulation,  as  it  was  a  very  dangerous  piece 
of  work  on  account  of  the  loose  character  of  the 
ground.  It  will  continue  to  prove  dangerous  moreover 
until  the  filling  is  completed. 

Work  has  been  for  some  time  past  going  on  at  various 
points  on  the  San  Lucas  level  (this  Is  about  230  meters 
from  the  surface) ,  the  most  important  being  the  opening 
up  of  the  San  INIiguel  ^\inze,  situated  about  90  meters 
south  of  the  Jesus  Maria  shaft,  to  the  dimensions  of  a 
three-compartment  incline  shaft  on  the  dip  of  the  vein. 
Stoping  operations  are  being  conducted  at  two  different 
points,  one  on  the  north  side  15  meters  below  the  San 
Lucas  level,  and  the  other  on  the  south  side  35  meters 
below  the  same  point,  close  to  water  level.  The  dimen- 
sions of  the  three  compartments  will  be,  two  for  hoisting 
4x5  feet,  and  the  other  3x5  feet  for  ladder  way.  This 
shaft,  timbered  to  the  San  Lucas  level  wdth  hoist  and 
pump  installed,  will  dominate  all  development  work  be- 
low water  level,  and  will  undoubtedly  open  up  a  large 


San  Lucas  Level  175 


body  of  pay  ore,  as  the  average  value  of  rock  broken 
from  both  stopes  is  worth  $20.00  per  ton  (<£4),  with 
an  average  width  of  2  meters  50  cm. 

The  drift  north  on  the  San  Lucas  level  terminated 
at  a  point  about  20  meters  north  from  mouth  of  crosscut 
leading  to  the  Jesus  Maria  shaft  (this  crosscut  show- 
ing extensive  old  workings  that  are  filled  in),  and  as 
samples  taken  from  face  of  drift  show  that  it  was  prac- 
tically in  waste,  a  crosscut  was  commenced  to  locate 
the  ore  body  corresponding  with  the  old  workings  in 
crosscut  leading  to  shaft.  Within  2  meters  the  old  work- 
ings were  in  evidence,  and  the  drift  was  commenced 
immediately  on  the  hanging  wall  from  the  face  of  the 
old  drift  and  is  being  driven  obliquely  toward  the  hang- 
ing wall  across  the  line  of  vein,  so  as  to  cut  the  vein  about 
5  meters  further  north,  and  determine  how  far  north 
these  old  workings  extend.  A  winze  was  also  com- 
menced on  the  San  Felipe  level  (which  is  about  20  me- 
ters above  the  San  Lucas  level)  at  a  point  north  from 
face  of  the  drift  North  San  Lucas;  this  winze  and  drift 
will  eventually  communicate,  and  as  the  winze  is  ap- 
parently in  virgin  ground,  and  the  broken  rock  assays 
$22.00  gold  to  the  ton,  it  will  open  up  in  a  good  body 
of  pay  ore.  Various  raises  at  points  where  pay  rock  is 
in  evidence  in  pillars  and  fillings  have  been  commenced, 
and  where  chutes  will  be  installed  to  facilitate  the  ex- 
traction of  ore  to  the  shaft. 

The  collar  of  the  Villarino  shaft  has  been  re-timbered, 
also  the  landing  stage  at  the  San  Lucas  level,  and  it  is 
now  ready  to  handle  all  material  and  machinery  for  the 
new  incline  shaft. 


176  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

The  whole  system  of  working  is  extremely  well 
thought  out  and  as  well  executed.  Certainly  the  prop- 
erties of  the  Guanajuato  Amalgamated  Gold  ^Nlines 
Compan}'-  are  likely  to  suffer  nothing  from  lack  of  ef- 
ficient and  conscientious  management,  of  which  as  a 
whole  it  would  be  difficult  to  speak  too  highly. 


Chapter  XIII. 


Some  Mines  with  a  Brilliant  Past  and  a  Promising  Future. — The 
San  Cayetana. — A  Remarkable  Tunnel. — The  Future  Working 
and  Its  Probable  Cost. — The  Pabellon  Mine,  a  Once  Famous 
Producer. — Thirteen  Years'  Production. — The  Union  of  Con- 
stancia. — Another  Big  Tunnel. — Some  Future  Exploration 
Work.— The  Tajo  de  Dolores  Mine. — The  Celebrated  Tajo 
Vein. — Twenty  Years'  Production. — Refugio. — Bolanitos. — El 
Cubo. 

A  INIONG  the  many  famous  mines  in  the  Guana- 
/\  juato  Camp  with  a  brilliant  future  assured  un- 
^  A.der  a  vigorous  and  a  modern  system  of  hand- 
ling, may  be  mentioned  the  San  Cayetana.  Its  history 
goes  back  to  a  period  considerably  exceeding  eighty 
years,  and  since  a  complete — or  at  least  a  very  full — set 
of  the  mines  books  still  exist  and  are  in  a  state  of  good 
preservation,  the  ambitious  and  industrious  student 
could  scarcely  find  a  more  promising  field  than  this  for 
his  labors. 

During  the  past  five  or  six  years,  several  fractional 
claims  have  been  denounced  in  the  locality  with  the  idea 
of  consolidating  and  making  one  complete  block  of  the 
property,  which  up  till  then  had  not  been  attempted, 
many  small  and  insignificant  interests  being  held  in  the 
scattered  directions.  A  vast  amount  of  good  develop- 
ment work  has  been  done  on  this  ground  during  the  past 
half  a  century  including  the  construction  of  a  remark- 
ably long  tunnel  measuring  3,035  meters,  and  which  still 
remains  in  excellent  condition,  proving  that  the  former 
owners,  although  slow  in  their  methods,  were  usually 

Page  177 


178  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

sure  and  did  not  skimp  their  work.  This  tunnel  took 
nearly  19  years  to  complete. 

The  San  Cayetano  Tunnel  was  commenced  in  June, 
1862.  It  has  a  total  length  of  3,140  meters,  10,299 
feet,  exclusive  of  the  branches,  which  have  an  additional 
length  of  3,540,  or  a  total  of  6,680  metres,  or  21,910 
feet.  The  tunnel  has  a  grade  of  1  in  120.  The  dimen- 
sions vary  considerably  from  8x8  feet  to  the  size  of  a 
railway  tunnel,  viz.,  12  x  18  feet.  For  the  greater  part 
of  its  length  the  tunnel  is  a  drift  following  the  San  An- 
tonio vein.  When  first  started  it  was  only  of  small  di- 
mensions and  the  boreholes  were  drilled  by  steel  pointed 
iron  rods,  but  when  the  subsequent  developments  dem- 
onstrated that  its  dimensions  were  not  sufficiently 
wide,  it  was  widened  out  for  its  whole  length  to  the 
Buenos  Ayres  shaft.  This  is  proved  by  the  numerous 
steel-drilled  boreholes,  pointing  towards  the  entrance. 
Under  great  difficulties,  on  account  of  the  bad  air,  the 
first  shaft  (Buenos  Ayres)  located  500  meters  from  the 
entrance  to  the  tunnel,  was  reached,  and  work  was  then 
proceeded  with  for  a  time  and  ^vith  but  little  difficulty. 
It  had  occupied  almost  ten  years  to  proceed  thus  far ;  and 
records  show  that  two  years  later,  namely,  1874,  the  tun- 
nel had  reached  a  length  of  800  meters  (2,624  feet) . 

For  some  reason  unknown,  the  tunnel  was  not  made  in 
a  straight  line  in  the  first  instance,  probably  on  account 
of  searching  for  a  vein  which  at  the  time  the  borers  failed 
to  find,  but  which  they  discovered  later  in  another  direc- 
tion. Although  the  tunnel  was  bored  in  an  accurate 
direction,  there  was  a  miscalculation  in  regard  to  the  level 
which,  when  the  two  ends  came  together,  was  found  to 
vary  by  some  ten  feet  more  or  less.    This  was  overcome 


Ten  Years'  Prosperity  179 

by  lowering  the  floor  of  the  part  which  was  too  high,  the 
gradient  being  only  1  in  120,  or  less  than  1  per  cent. 
But  work  was  again  seriously  interfered  with  by  the 
continuation  of  the  bad  air,  and  eventually  a  vertical 
masonry  wall  had  to  be  constructed  in  the  tunnel  to  split 
the  air  current  and  better  ventilate  the  tunnel.  This 
proved  successful. 

It  was  on  the  29th  of  July,  1876,  that  communication 
was  first  established,  and  the  tunnel  then  had  a  total 
length  of  1,300  meters  (3,980  feet),  of  which  500  have 
been  completed  during  the  last  two  years.  Fourteen 
years  had  elapsed  since  the  work  was  commenced 
in  1862.  Enormous  difficulties  had  been  encountered 
from  the  beginning  and  pluckily  overcome.  Great 
patience  and  pertinacity  had  been  evinced  upon  the  part 
of  the  management,  and  the  shareholders  had  shown 
great  confidence  in  the  ultimate  success  of  the  enterprise 
by  providing  the  necessary  funds  to  carry  on  the  work. 
Every  encouragement,  however,  was  afforded  by  the  ex- 
cellent output  from  the  San  Cayetano  mine,  which 
was  being  worked  from  the  San  Cayetano  shaft. 

While  the  tunnel  was  being  constructed,  and  at  a 
distance  of  some  1,500  meters  from  the  entrance,  a  shoot 
of  ore  was  encountered  which,  being  pursued,  led  on  to 
the  famous  San  Cayetano  ore  shoot,  which  resulted  in 
ten  years'  continuous  output  of  valuable  ore,  aggregat- 
ing some  three-quarters  of  a  million  sterling,  which  was 
distributed  as  dividends  among  the  shareholders  of  the 
United  Mexican  Mining  Company,  Ltd.  This  was  in 
the  year  1881. 

A  large  sum  of  money  was  then  expended  upon  ma- 
chinery, being  paid  for  out  of  the  huge  profits  from  the 


180  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

mine,  and  entirely  apart  from  the  amount  distributed  in 
dividends.  Among  the  machinery  ordered  was  a  mag- 
nificent air  compressor,  which  cost  £18,000  dehvered  at 
the  mine.  This  large  piece  of  machinery  is  to-day  at  the 
Cubo  mine  but  is  not  being  used,  the  two  mines  (San 
Cayetano  and  Cubo)  then  belonging  to  the  same  com- 
pany. 

The  elusive  character  of  the  ore  shoots  in  Mexico,  as 
in  most  mining  countries,  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  the 
ore  shoot  in  the  San  Cayetano  mine  would  have  been 
completely  missed  had  the  tunnel  happened  to  be  driven 
at  a  level  twenty  feet  higher  than  it  was.  This  arose 
frofti  no  special  scientific  knowledge  possessed  by  the 
engineers  of  that  day,  but  from  purely  good  fortune. 

The  o-reat  value  of  the  San  Cavetano  mine  to-day 
consists  in  the  enormous  extent  of  undeveloped  veins,  of 
which  there  are  six  well  defined,  in  addition  to  numerous 
others  located,  distributed  over  the  area  owned  by  the 
company,  which  exceeds  700  acres.  These  veins  con- 
tain ore  of  high  grade. 

It  may  be  mentioned  that  while  some  <£l 0,000  might 
be  required  to  put  the  San  Cayetano  mine  into  a  perfect 
working  condition,  the  mine  is  perfectly  clean,  abso- 
lutely dry  and  in  the  best  possible  condition  for  exploi- 
tation. All  the  mine  buildings  and  3^ard,  as  I  can  per- 
sonally testify,  are  in  admirable  condition,  some  of  the 
most  substantial  and  abiding  work  having  been  put  in 
by  the  former  proprietors. 

If  I  am  asked  for  what  reason  the  San  Ca3'etano 
mine  has  been  worked  so  little  by  the  present  company 
which  owns  it,  and  why  it  is  desirous  of  selling  it,  my  re- 
ply would  be  two-fold :    firstly,  the  San  Cayetano  is  the 


Necessary  Developments  181 

last  remaining  property  belonging  to  the  United  Mex- 
ican Mining  Company,  Limited,  which  has  already  dis- 
posed of  all  its  former  holdings  and  the  shareholders 
of  which  are  desirous  of  closing  down  their  business 
and  distributing  their  assets;  and  secondly,  the  whole 
of  the  profits  having  been  somewhat  imprudently  and 
improvidently  divided  up  during  the  halcyon  days,  with 
the  result  that  no  working  capital  was  provided,  there 
is  to-day  insufficient  funds  in  hand  to  carry  on  the  fur- 
ther development  of  the  property.  The  fact  must  be 
borne  in  mind  that  the  mine  is  still  being  worked  profit- 
ably, but  not  nearly  as  profitably  as  would  be  the  case 
were  the  sj^stem  of  development  more  expansive  and 
more  complete,  which  the  introduction  of  abundant 
capital  would  permit  of. 

Probably  any  further  extension  of  this  remarkable 
tunnel  would  be  unnecessary  until  some  further  devel- 
opment in  the  mine  itself  had  been  carried  out.  It  is 
considered  that  as  a  commencement  there  should  be  a 
drift  run  out  under  the  Lourdes  shoot  from  the  Ano 
Nuevo  crosscut;  100  meters  more  or  less  ought  to  reach 
the  desired  point,  and  encounter  the  extension  down- 
ward of  the  ore  shoot  which  is  now  being  mined  by  the 
company  near  the  surface.  It  would  also  be  desirable 
to  prospect  the  Emma  vein  by  sinking  and  drifting  upon 
it  at  some  point  not  far  removed  from  the  northeast 
end  of  the  San  Julian  tunnel.  The  Emma  vein  is  per- 
haps the  largest  on  the  property,  and  is  the  one  on 
which  the  least  work  has  been  done.  A  small  shaft  was 
sunk  on  it  and  a  slight  amount  of  mineral  was  produced ; 
but  these  workings  are  now  caved-in  and  very  little  is 
known  in  regard  to  this  vein  beyond  the  fact  that  the 


182  Mescico's  Treasure-House 

hill-side  below  the  outcrop  is  almost  covered  with  quartz, 
proceeding  from  the  decomposition  of  the  vein. 

The  result  of  some  recent  sampling  has  shown  that 
there  are  large  amounts  of  fillings  of  a  milling  grade  in 
the  upper  workings,  known  as  San  Antonio,  running 
very  high  in  gold.  Besides  this,  and  of  far  greater  im- 
portance, is  a  large  block  of  sohd  ground  containing 
pay  ore,  which  has  been  found  above  the  tunnel  and  in 
the  Mexiamora  ground.  This  ore  extends  upward  as 
shown  by  raise,  and  it  is  declared  by  those  who  did  the 
last  work  in  the  Mexiamora  mine  that  the  same  character 
and  quality  of  ore  exist  in  the  lower  workings  of  that 
mine,  proving  a  solid  block  of  ground  of  fully  300  feet 
in  height  and  of  an  unknown  length,  which  is  very  con- 
veniently located  for  mining.  This  Mexiamora  mine 
produced  as  much  as  $11,000,000,  but  the  bottom  of  the 
mine  is  still  considerably  above  the  tunnel  level.  This 
means  a  large  amount  of  virgin  ground  between  the  bot- 
tom of  the  mine  and  the  tunnel  level,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  possibilities  of  the  ore  shoot  below  the  level. 

It  is  now  very  difficult  to  obtain  properties  in  Guana- 
juato, since  everything  in  the  vicinity  has  been  very 
carefully  denounced  and  carried  to  title  with  the  excep- 
tion of  one  strip  lying  along  the  northeast  side  of  the 
property,  and  following  the  general  line  of  the  Puerte- 
cito  River.  This  caused  an  inquiry  into  the  reason  for 
the  ground  not  having  been  denounced,  and  it  was  found 
that  it  had  been  held  for  years  by  different  parties,  none 
of  wliom  had  ever  done  any  work  u])()n  it  by  reason  of  its 
proximity  to  the  river,  and  at  last  had  allowed  it  to 
lapse,  i.atterly,  however,  this  last  remaining  claim 
has  been  denounced  under  the  name  of  La  Blanca,  and 


I'l;it.-  tl 


'I'liK  San   Ca^  1.1  AM)   .Mini.. 

l'r<)|MTlv  ui  Liiittd  McxiciM  MiiiiiiiT  (  •).,  Limited. 


The  San  Cayetano  Production 


183 


now  has  been  added  to  the  San  Cayetano  holdings.  This 
is  not  alone  a  valuable  mining  claim,  but  as  it  extends 
across  the  River  San  Cayetano  it  affords  a  fine  dam  site 
and  water  rights  for  a  mill  for  the  property.  One  of  the 
best-known  veins  in  the  vicinity,  the  Pabellon,  runs 
through  this  ground  from  one  end  to  the  other,  the  sur- 
face outcrop  being  just  as  pronounced  as  in  the  Pabellon 
mine  itself. 

The  following  particulars  relating  to  13  years'  pro- 
duction from  San  Cayetano  ore  body  may  prove  in- 
teresting : 


Aug. 


9mos. 


YEAR. 

CARGAS. 

RETURNS. 

1882 

1,348 

$  24,059.00 

1883 

19,768 

298,691.96 

1884 

37,352 

543,198.30 

1885 

40,592 

537,251.13 

1886 

36,751 

532,133.96 

1887 

65,704 

632,634.29 

1888 

53,972 

473,923.00 

1889 

357,119.00 

1890 

257,888.00 

1891 

172,729.50 

1892 

22,551 

158,288.00 

1893 

6,957 

84,626.00 

1894 

3,302 

57,764.00 

PER    CARGA 
(of   850    LBS.). 

$17.84 
15.11 
14.54 
13.23 
14.48 


$4,130,306.14  or,  say,  £413,030 

ORE  MINED  FROM  SAN  CAYETANO. 
Year  1884. 


CARGAS.  VALUE, 

January 3,362  $37,788 

February  ....  2,817  30,798 

March 2,797  29,661 

April 2,650  50,026 

May 3,902  73,172 

June 3,134  51,776 


CARGAS.  VALUE. 

July 3,991  %5S,92Q 

August 2,445  37,582 

September   ...  2,580  46,101 

October 3,655  46,281 

November   .  .  .  2,851  35,451 

December    .  .  .  3,143  50,361 


37,327   $542,923 
37,327  Cargas=:447,924  Arrobas=5151.1  metric  tons. 
542,923 

5I5TI  =$105.4  Mex.  per  ton. 


184 


Mexico's  Treasure-Hou^e 


PROFIT    AND    LOSS    STATEMENTS. 

San  Cavktano  Mine. 
Year  1884. 

profit.  loss. 

January     $   12,518 

February    13,170 

March   66,764 

April     16,839 

May     52,808 

June    168,559 

July     $11,698 

August    21,746 

September    127,979 

October     -6,108 

November   17,945 

December   110,119 

$608,947       $17,806 
Loss    17,806 

Profit   $591,141 


THE  PABELLON  MINE. 

The  Pabellon  mine  has  been  one  of  the  famous  pro- 
ducers of  rich  ore,  the  period  of  its  greatest  production 
being  about  the  fifties.  It  is  stated  that  the  fear  of  en- 
countering water  was  the  reason  for  the  neglect  of  the 
vein  in  tlie  ground  spoken  of  as  being  open  to  denounce- 
ment. This  fear  may  be  entirely  imaginary,  however,  as 
the  ground  in  the  vicinity  of  the  vein  is  very  light  and 
solid,  and  may  not  permit  the  percolation  of  water;  at  all 
events,  even  if  all  the  water  running  in  the  little  stream 
were  to  find  its  way  into  the  vein,  a  very  small  pump 
would  handle  it  effectively. 


La  Union  y  Constancia  185 


LA  UNION  Y  CONSTANCIA. 

La  Union  y  Constancia  mine  is  located  about  six 
kilometers  from  the  City  of  Guanajuato,  four  kilome- 
ters of  which  are  over  a  wagon  road  and  the  remainder 
over  a  trail,  which  can  easily  be  made  into  a  wagon  road. 
The  property  consists  of  the  following  claims:— La 
Union,  Fe  de  Constancia,  and  their  Ampliaciones. 

The  length  of  the  principal  vein,  the  development  of 
which  is  contemplated,  is  1,600  meters;  the  depth  on  the 
dip  of  the  vein  is  nearly  420  meters  throughout  the  prop- 
erty, thus  forming  an  explorable  area  of  672,000  square 
meters.  The  vein  is  the  famous  "Mother  Lode  of  Guan- 
ajuato," running  through  the  district  for  about  17 
kilometers,  having  a  maximum  width  of  60  me- 
ters strike  N.  45  degrees  W.  with  an  inclination  or  dip 
of  45  degrees  W.  from  the  horizontal.  The  rock  on  the 
southern  extension  of  the  vein,  where  it  is  the  strongest 
and  on  which  the  La  Union  y  Constancia  is  located, 
consists  of  the  hanging  wall  composed  of  diorite  or 
green  rock,  and  the  footwall  a  red  conglomerate  on  the 
surface,  which  in  depth  is  the  same  diorite  that  is  en- 
countered in  the  hanging  wall  intermixed  with  car- 
bonaceous slate  (ampelita). 

The  vein  filling  is  composed  of  seams  of  quartz,  in  its 
different  forms,  frequently  intermixed  with  calcite  and 
stringers  of  the  same  rock,  that  form  the  foot  and  hang- 
ing walls,  the  stratum  being  generally  parallel  to  the 
dip  of  the  vein.  The  principal  minerals  are  argentif- 
erous sulphides  and  native  gold  and  silver;  traces  of 
lead  are  few,  and  zinc  has  never  been  found.  Along  the 
vein,  where  the  body  of  the  same  can  be  measured  60 


186  Mexico's  Treasure-House 


meters  in  width,  the  country  rock  is  intermingled  with 
the  vein,  which  sometimes  divides  it  in  three  different 
parts,  which  are  called  the  vein  of  the  hanging  wall,  the 
centre,  and  the  foot- wall  veins ;  but  in  the  region  of  La 
Union  y  Constancia,  these  divisions  are  not  so  well  de- 
fined. The  three  parts  of  the  vein  above  mentioned 
form  one  body  of  from  10  to  14  meters  in  wddth.  The 
reunion  thus  formed  gives  more  probabilities  for  rich- 
ness. 

A  great  deal  of  exploration  and  exploitation  work  has 
been  done  on  this  property,  's\dth  various  results.  The 
workings  in  Cata  were  deepened,  explorations  were 
made  in  lower  levels  than  those  of  the  Sirena  mine  (be- 
ing worked  by  the  Guanajuato  Consohdated  Mining  & 
Mining  Company),  and  the  Cedro  mine  was  deep- 
ened to  explore  the  present  ore  body  in  the  Purisima 
mine.  Additionally  there  is  a  tunnel  about  800  meters 
in  length,  there  being  800  meters  yet  to  explore.  Start- 
ing from  the  entrance  to  the  tunnel,  various  crosscuts 
have  been  driven  to  cut  the  vein,  encountering  the  same 
12  meters  in  wddth  in  these  crosscuts;  1.50  meters  from 
the  face  a  vein  was  encountered  20  meters  wide.  A 
short  distance  north  of  the  last  crosscut  a  rich  ore  body 
was  encountered,  which  is  technically  the  continuance  of 
the  ore  body  which  originated  at  the  entrance  to  the  mine 
(Boca  Mina)  on  the  top  of  the  hill. 

Aside  from  the  Veta  Madre  passing  through  the 
property  in  question.  El  Carmen  vein  and  others  of 
less  importance  pass  through  this  ground;  El  Carmen 
vein,  which  derived  its  name  from  the  mining  property 
situated  about  500  meters  west  of  La  Union  y  Con- 
stancia claim,  was  acquired  by,  and  transferred  to.  The 


A  Proposed  Tunnel  187 

Guanajuato  Consolidated  Mining  Company  for  the 
sum  of  $400,000.00.  The  altitude  of  the  La  Union  y 
Constancia  tunnel  is  2,000  meters  above  sea  level,  which 
altitude  corresponds  with  the  same  levels  in  Valenciana, 
Tepayac,  Cata,  Mellado,  Rayas,  Promontorio,  Sirena 
and  Purisima  del  Cedro,  where  rich  ore  bodies  were  en- 
countered, La  Union  y  Constancia  being  the  mine  in 
which  the  last  rich  ore  body  was  found.  Two  workings 
indicate  where  profit  can  be  made  at  once,  one  of  these 
being  the  continuation  of  the  tunnel  and  the  other  the 
sinking  of  a  shaft  from  the  tunnel  level. 

It  is  estimated  that  to  prosecute  the  work  of  the  tun- 
nel for  the  remaining  800  meters  on  the  vein  and  to 
reach  the  line,  the  cost  per  meter,  including  track  and 
extraction,  also  the  necessary  timbering,  will  amount  to 
$24,000.00;  to  this  amount  must  be  added  the  cost  of 
driving  the  necessary  crosscuts  every  40  meters,  with  an 
average  width  of  15  meters  each  in  length  to  ex- 
plore the  vein  on  the  foot  wall  and  hanging  wall.  This 
estimate  of  $24,000.00  for  driving  the  tunnel,  crosscuts, 
and  other  work  to  secure  ventilation,  could  be  reduced  30 
per  cent,  by  installing  an  air  compressor  and  air  drill 
using  electric  power.  Aside  from  the  exploitation  of  the 
mineral  encountered  in  the  tunnel  level,  one  or  more  up- 
raises can  be  made  in  places  where  there  are  indications 
of  mineralization,  these  explorations  being  valuable  and 
made  easy  in  connection  with  the  tunnel  work. 

The  second  work  of  interest  that  would  have  to  be 
performed  is  the  sinking  of  an  inclined  shaft  from  the 
tunnel  level  on  the  vein  to  a  vertical  depth  of  220  me- 
ters, and  a  total  length  on  the  vein  of  300  meters  on  an 
incline  of  45  degrees,  which  is  the  inclination  of  the 


188  Mexico's  Treasure-House 


vein.  This  inclined  shaft  has  the  advantage  that  it  will 
not  leave  the  vein,  the  inclination  being  regular;  which 
has  been  proven  in  all  the  mines  in  the  district.  To  in- 
vestigate the  richness  of  the  tunnel  in  the  lower  levels, 
a  series  of  small  crosscuts  and  small  shafts  should  be 
made;  probably,  three  small  crosscuts  at  a  distance  of 
50  meters,  vertical  distance,  or  70  meters  on  the  vein, 
and  the  small  shafts  in  these  crosscuts  at  a  convenient 
distance  from  the  inchned  shaft,  to  secure  ventilation  at 
all  times. 

Considering  the  location  of  this  property  and  espe- 
cially the  topographical  position  of  the  tunnel,  com- 
bined with  the  great  advantages  accruing  from  electrical 
power  being  available,  La  Union  y  Constancia,  if  in 
the  hands  of  an  enterprising  and  capable  management, 
should  prove  a  valuable  producer.  Up  till  now,  litiga- 
tion has  impeded  any  continuous  development;  but  this 
having  been  finallj^  settled,  work  will  shortly  be  vigor- 
ously resumed.  This  is  the  last  remaining  property  on 
the  IMother  Lode,  south  of  Valenciana,  which  has  not 
been  taken  up  by  British  or  American  capital,  but  it  is 
practically  certain  that  before  these  lines  are  read  La 
Union  y  Constancia  will  have  been  disposed  of  to  a  pur- 
chasing syndicate  of  either  London  or  New  York. 


THE  TAJO  DE  DOLORES. 

The  Tajo  de  Dolores  mine  is  another  property  of 
which  the  financial  world  is  destined  to  hear  a  good  deal 
in  the  future.  The  Tajo  vein  occurs,  and  has  been  both 
recognizx'd  and  exploited,  at  both  sides  of  the  Villalpan- 
do  Gulch  (Canada  de  Villalpando)  through  two  tunnels 


The  Tajo  Vein  189 


in  opposite  directions.  The  West  Tunnel  opens  the  La 
Loca  mine,  and  the  East  Tunnel  the  Tajo  de  Dolores 
mine.  The  direction  of  the  tunnels  and  vein  is  approxi- 
mately east  and  west,  with  a  dip  of  from  50  to  65  de- 
grees to  the  south.  Consequently,  if  the  vein  extends 
sufficiently  towards  the  east,  it  must  intersect  the  main 
Villalpando  vein.  Towards  the  west,  at  200  meters 
from  the  mouth  of  the  La  Loca  tunnel,  the  course  of  the 
vein  comes  to  an  end  by  splitting  into  various  stringers. 
The  vein  crosses  near  the  surface  the  strata  of  green 
sandstone,  and  in  depth  is  enclosed  in  the  argillaceous 
schist,  which  comes  in  below  the  green  sandstone  in  the 
sides  of  the  main  Villalpando  shaft,  near  the  La  Loca 
mine  itself  and  in  the  El  CapuHn  mine.  This  vein,  in 
the  La  Loca  workings,  has  produced  argentiferous  ores, 
with  a  predominating  gangue  material  of  compact 
quartz,  usually  white,  with  enclosures  of  fragments  of 
wall-rock  more  or  less  siHcified.  The  main  productive 
minerals  which  have  been  encountered  with  greater  con- 
stancy are  argentite,  more  or  less  seleniferous,  in  rich 
stringers,  in  fine  disseminations  or  impregnations;  dark 
ruby  silver,  or  pyrargyrite  in  layers  or  crystalline 
bunches;  and  compact  polybasite,  or  disseminated  in 
company  with  chalcopyrite.  Pyrite  in  small  quantity 
also  occurs. 

In  the  Tajo  de  Dolores  mine,  the  most  important  de- 
velopment is  on  the  crossings  of  the  Tajo  vein  with  the 
cross  veins  of  San  Francisco  and  El  Baul,  with  a  strike 
of  from  65  to  70  degrees  west  and  a  dip  of  65  to  80  de- 
grees toward  the  southeast.  In  this  region,  besides 
the  occurrence  of  argentiferous  pay  ores,  the  gold  assay 
of  the  ores  increases,  as  is  the  case  in  the  whole  Villa  1- 


190  Mexico's  Treasure-IIonse 

pando  region  at  the  intersection  of  the  main  with  the 
cross  veins. 

The  Tajo  vein  itself  shows  the  same  composition  as 
in  the  La  Loca  mine,  with  an  abundance  of  compact 
quartz  as  the  principal  matrix.  But  the  veins  of  the 
San  Francisco  and  El  Baul,  at  the  junction,  show  red 
or  oxidized  ores  with  a  matrix  of  more  or  less  porous 
quartz  and  ferruginous  clay  pockets.  Some  small 
bunches  of  ore  reached  an  assay  value  of  1,000  ounces 
of  silver  and  20  ounces  of  gold  per  ton  (of  2,000  lbs.). 

The  Tajo  de  Dolores  property  covers  a  portion  of 
what  is  known  as  the  "Sierra  System"  of  veins,  on  which 
are  located  also  the  Santa  Rosa,  San  Nicholas,  Pere- 
grina  and  Cubo  groups  of  mines.  The  Cubo  Venture 
properties  are  situated  to  the  north  and  west;  the  Ro- 
mana  (owned  by  the  Governor  of  Guanajuato,  Seiior 
Don  Joaquin  Obregon  Gonzalez  and  the  Jefe  Politico, 
Cecilio  Estrada),  to  the  southeast;  to  the  southwest 
are  several  properties  owned  by  various  other  individ- 
uals. These  mines  have  lately  been  brought  into  prom- 
inence by  the  revival  of  work  in  the  old  mines  of  the 
Guanajuato  District,  and  particularly,  through  the 
operations  of  the  new  Peregrina  ISIining  and  ^Milling 
Co.  and  the  Cubo  Venture,  of  which  latter,  Mr.  Thomas 
H.  Legget,  the  well-known  South  African  mining  en- 
gineer, is  the  principal  party  interested.  The  Cubo 
Venture  joins  the  Tajo  de  Dolores  on  the  northwest, 
and  is  worked  to  a  depth  of  700  feet  below  the  lowest 
workings  of  the  Tajo,  and  on  the  same  vein.  On  the 
other  side,  southeast  of  the  property,  the  veins  continue 
into  the  Romano,  which  has  also  produced  large  quanti- 


An  Interesting  History  191 

ties  of  ore,  and  has  been  worked  down  to  the  same  depth 
as  the  Tajo. 

The  Dolores  vein  occupied  a  fault  plane  between 
the  rhyolitic  tuff  on  the  hanging  wall  and  the  massive 
rhyolite  on  the  foot  wall.  The  San  Joaquin  vein  is  a 
fissure  in  the  latter  formation,  which  is  a  characteristic  of 
the  foot  wall  of  the  Sierra  system  of  veins.  The  mine 
is  in  the  Municipality  of  Villalpando,  in  the  Guana- 
juato Mining  District,  at  an  altitude  of  about  7,500 
feet  above  sea  level,  and  is  connected  with  the  City  of 
Guanajuato  by  a  good  wagon  road  six  miles  in  length. 

The  property  consists  of  29.97  pertenencias,  equal  to 
about  73  acres.  The  Tajo  has  an  interesting  history. 
The  mine  was  worked  intermittently  by  the  Spaniards 
up  to  the  time  of  the  Mexican  War  of  Independence,  the 
troubles  of  which  caused  its  abandonment.  Modern 
systematic  work  was  undertaken  by  Eusebio  Gonzales 
about  30  years  ago,  since  which  time  three  shafts  have 
been  sunk  and  all  the  work  below  the  tunnel  level  car- 
ried out.  There  are  no  known  existing  records  of  the 
production  of  the  mine  prior  to  the  time  of  Gonzales,  but 
to  judge  by  the  extent  of  the  old  stopes  and  the  value  of 
the  fillings,  several  million  dollars'  worth  of  ore  must 
have  been  produced  from  the  workings  above  the  tun- 
nel level.  During  the  ownership  of  the  Gonzales  family, 
the  mine  produced  steadily  right  up  to  the  final  shut- 
dovm  in  1902.  All  the  records  are  still  in  the  possession 
of  the  Gonzales  family,  who  live  in  Celaya. 

The  Tajo  has  been  a  famous  producer  of  rich  ore, 
however,  and  the  reason  for  shutting  it  down  was  the 
fact  that  the  water  got  to  be  more  than  could  be  handled 
with  the  small  pump  with  which  the  mine  was  provided; 


192  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

consequently  the  lower  levels  were  abandoned  in  1902, 
and  the  water  was  allowed  to  rise.  The  mine,  neverthe- 
less, has  given  employment  to  numerous  small  gangs  of 
lessees,  who  have  been  working  in  the  upper  part  and  re- 
turning a  net  royalty  of  $300.00  to  <$500.00  (£30  to 
£50)  every  week  since  the  machinery  stopped  work. 

From  the  information  that  one  is  able  to  obtain,  the 
mine  never  seems  to  have  had  so  good  a  showing  of  ore 
as  at  the  time  it  was  shut  down.  When  the  work  in  the 
bottom  was  stopped,  the  management  were  underhand- 
stoping  a  streak  more  than  10  inches  wide,  which  aver- 
aged $1,300.00,  Mexican  Cy.  (£130),  per  ton.  This 
rich  streak  ^vas  part  of  a  vein  seven  feet  wide,  the  rest  of 
which  ran  $38.00  (£3/16)  per  ton.  The  mines  of  El 
Tajo  and  Peregrina  were  formerly  owned  by  the  Gon- 
zales family. 

An  engineer  who  examined  the  Tajo  in  1902,  at  a 
time  when  the  w^ater  was  entirely  out  of  it,  states  that, 
in  the  lower  level  and  in  the  San  Joaquin  vein,  for  a 
distance  of  over  100  meters,  there  was  a  rich  sulphide 
streak,  about  a  foot  in  width,  running  the  entire  distance 
without  a  break,  and  which  would  average  40  kgms.  sil- 
ver per  ton  without  sorting,  and  that,  alongside  of  this 
rich  streak,  there  was  an  additional  width  of  vein  of  two 
or  three  meters,  which  would  average  nearly  a  kilogram 
of  silver  per  ton. 

The  two  principal  veins  running  through  the  prop- 
erty are  those  of  Dolores  and  San  Joaquin.  The 
vein  of  Dolores  extends  1.6.50  feet  through  the  prop- 
erty with  a  dip  of  60  degrees  to  the  southwest.  The 
San  Joaquin  vein  runs  north  70  degrees  east,  dipping 
southeast  70  degrees.     The  veins  intersect  each  other 


Interior  of  Mine  193 


near  the  center  of  the  property,  and  this  intersection  was 
the  condition  which  decided  the  formation  of  the  large 
and  rich  bodies  of  ore  for  which  the  mine  has  been 
famous.  Several  smaller  veins  intersect  these  principal 
veins  at  different  points.  An  enormous  stope  exists 
above  the  San  Eusebio  level;  below  this  level,  the  stope 
narrows  up,  but  just  at  the  water  level  it  expands 
lengthwise  of  the  vein,  and  an  old  plan  and  some  other 
information  show  the  productive  portion  of  the  San 
Joaquin  vein  to  be  much  more  extensive  in  the  bottom  of 
the  mine  than  at  any  point  above.  The  San  Eusebio 
shaft,  the  deepest  in  the  mine,  is  located  on  this  vein; 
it  is  an  interior  shaft,  the  collar  of  which  is  at  the  tunnel 
level.  This  shaft  serves  the  double  purpose  of  extrac- 
tion of  ore  from  the  workings  of  the  San  Joaquin  vein 
and  the  drainage  of  the  entire  mine ;  the  shaft  section  is 
two  meters  by  five.  The  hoisting  engines,  as  well  as 
those  for  pumping,  together  with  the  boilers,  were  lo- 
cated in  the  interior  of  the  mine  at  the  collar  of  the  shaft. 
This  arrangement  was  found  to  be  extremely  disadvan- 
tageous to  the  workings  of  the  mine,  the  smoke  escaping 
through  the  stopes  overhead,  rendering  that  part  of  the 
mine  absolutely  inaccessible,  besides  which,  the  consump- 
tion of  so  much  fuel  in  the  interior  of  the  mine  raised  the 
temperature  throughout  to  a  pitch  that  was  most  uncom- 
fortable. This  shaft  is  still  in  very  good  condition,  with 
the  exception  of  a  short  distance  near  the  collar,  where 
the  shaft  passes  through  the  vein  and  the  soft  condition 
of  the  ground  has  necessitated  some  timbering.  Below 
the  level  of  San  Nicholas,  the  shaft  enters  the  footwall, 
which  is  very  hard  rock,  the  lower  part  of  the  shaft, 
consequently,  being  quite  firm. 


194  Mexico's  Treasure-House 


Whatever  pumping  machinery  may  be  needed  for  the 
mine  will  have  to  be  set  up  in  this  shaft,  as  it  is  the  deep- 
est on  the  property,  the  water  naturally  draining  to  this 
point.  These  w^orkings  of  the  San  Eusebio  vein  being 
the  richest  part  of  the  mine,  it  would  probably  be  found 
advisable  to  use  this  shaft  also  for  hoisting,  especially  in 
view  of  the  fact  that  communication  exists  between  the 
San  Eusebio  shaft  and  the  workings  on  the  Dolores 
vein  through  the  level  of  del  Carmen. 

At  the  workings  on  the  Dolores  vein  another  immense 
stope  exists  above  the  tunnel  level.  This  narrows,  going 
downward  in  very  much  the  same  w^ay  as  the  shoot  on  the 
San  Joaquin  vein,  and  sufficient  work  has  not  yet  been 
done  to  prove  whether  it  opens  up  again  with  depth.  The 
deepest  workings,  however,  show  good  values  in  the 
stopes  below^  the  Providencia  level,  and  in  another  stope 
close  to  the  Dolores  shaft. 

There  are  tw^o  vertical  shafts  located  on  the  Dolores 
vein ;  the  Dolores  shaft  is  sunk  directly  in  the  gulch,  and 
passes  through  the  vein  into  the  footwall  at  the  level  of 
the  Frente  Jesus,  the  workings  below  this  point  being 
connected  with  the  shaft  by  crosscuts.  The  condition 
of  the  Dolores  shaft  is  excellent  for  hoisting,  having  a 
section  of  three  meters  square,  which  is  sufficient  capac- 
ity for  a  double  bucket  way. 

The  Purisima  shaft  is  of  round  section,  about  two  me- 
ters in  diameter,  and  could  only  be  used  for  a  single- 
drum  hoist.  This  shaft  is  said  to  be  onlj^  about  20  meters 
below  the  level  of  the  water.  The  drifts  along  both 
veins,  contrary  to  the  usual  Mexican  fashion,  are  run  on 
level,  and  some  of  them  provided  with  cars  and  track. 
As  far  as  can  be  judged  by  the  condition  of  the  work- 


Ore  Assets  195 

ings  above  the  water  level,  the  mine  should  be  in  con- 
dition for  immediate  production  as  soon  as  the  water 
is  pumped  out  of  it.  The  permanent  water  level  is  de- 
termined by  the  Cubo  tunnel,  at  which  level  the  water 
no'.v  stands  throughout  the  Tajo  workings;  this  point 
is  about  200  feet  below  the  tunnel  level.  The  lower 
30  feet  of  the  workings  are  under  water. 

The  principal  assets  of  ore  are  contained  in  the  veins 
of  San  Joaquin  and  Dolores,  consisting  of  low-grade 
portions  of  the  veins,  the  fillings  of  the  old  stopes  and 
the  several  dumps  on  the  properties,  which  would  not 
pay  to  work  under  former  conditions  of  transportation 
and  treatment,  but  which,  under  cyanide  treatment, 
adopted  at  present  for  the  low-grade  ores  of  the  Guana- 
juato District,  would  yield  good  profits.  The  larger 
bodies  of  available  milling  ore,  above  the  level,  which 
have  been  measured  up  and  computed,  are  as  follows : 

In  block  "A,"  on  the  Dolores  vein,  between  the  large 
stope  and  the  water  level,  there  are  pieces  of  solid 
ground  that  measure  up  20,000  cu.  meters,  containing 
45,000  tons  of  ore  with  an  average  value  of  $7.00  per 
ton;  total  value  contained  in  this  block  $315,000. 
Block  "B,"  a  triangular  block  above  the  tunnel  level, 
on  the  San  Joaquin  vein,  measures  about  7,000  tons  with 
an  average  of  $7-00  per  ton;  total  value,  $49,000.00. 
Block  "C,"  the  large  stopes  on  the  San  Joaquin  vein 
with  the  pillars  and  fillings  they  contain,  wherever  ac- 
cessible, show  values  of  about  $9.00  per  ton;  roughly, 
calculated  this  stope  contains  20,000  tons  with  a  value 
of  $8.00  per  ton;  total  value,  $160,000.00.  Block  "D," 
about  25,000  tons  of  dump  rock,  contained  in  four  dif- 
ferent dumps,  with  a  value  of  $168,000.00. 


196  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

These  give  together  a  total  as  follows : 

BLOCK  "A,"   45,000    tons $315,000.00 

BLOCK  "B,"     7,000  tons 49,000.00 

BLOCK  "C,"   20,000   tons 160,000.00 

BLOCK  "D,"  25,000  tons 168,000.00 


$692,000.00 

The  expense  of  mining  and  getting  this  material  to 
the  proposed  mill  ought  to  be  easily  covered  as  follows : 

52,000  tons  solid  rock  at  90c.  per  ton.  .      $46,800.00 

20,000  tons  fillings  at  50c.  per  ton 10,000.00 

25,000  tons  dump  rock  at  25c.  per  ton.  .  6,250.00 

97,000  tons  milling  at  $1.60  per  ton 155.200.00 

$218,250.00 

Net  return,  U.  S.  Cy 473,750.00 

I  append  a  table  showing  the  officially  certified  annual 
production  of  the  Tajo  de  Dolores  Mine  for  years  1882- 
1884  and  1887-1903,  inclusive: 

1882  1,506.118  0.763.. 4.0   $55,966-72  $7,831.20  $63,797-92 

1883  2,406.848  0.905.. 4.0    87,127-88   12,505.10  99,632-98 

1884  2,876-419  1.196.-4.0   187,607-88   14,956-50  152,564.88 

1887  1,447-760  0-860.  .4.0    49,802.92   7,528.30  57,331.22 

1888  1,628.605  0.997.. 3.0    64,948.76   6,350.50  71,299-26 

1889  1,136.966  0.767.. 3.0    32,884.88   4,433.00  37,317-88 

1890  597-965  1.125.. 4.0    26,908.40   3,108.30  30,016.70 

1891  867-674  0.848.. 4.0    29,431.48   4,511.00  33,242.48 

1892  1,208.131  0.836.  .3.0    40,399-88   4,711-00  45,111-08 

1893  1,349.813  1-599-.5-0    86,334.00   8,773.70  95,107-70 

1894  1,305.744  1.869-. 6.0    97,617-40  10,184.20  107,801.60 

1895  1,723.550  1.277- .4.5    84,038.92   10,081.50  94,120.42 

1896  3,815.374  1.006.  .3.5   153,530.64   17,358.90  170,889-54 

1897  3,427.144  0.971.  .3.0   137,110.24   11,365.30  148,475.54 

1898  6,126.925  1.111.  .4.0   272,280.52  31,859-10  304,139.62 

1899  4,397.558  1.029.. 3. 5   181,003.52   20,008.30  201,011.88 

1900  3,549,708  1.173.. 4.0   166,552.20   18,457.40  185,009.60 

1901  3,352.087  0.284.  .3.0   131,938.12   13,072.80  145,010.92 

1902  3,311.551  1.003.. 4.0   132,859.40   17,219.80  150,079-20 

1903  1,226,887  1-446- -3.5    70,963.12   5.582.20  76,545.32 
47,269-825           2,039,306.94  229,898.30  2,269,205.24 


o 


The  Refugio  Mine  197 

It  is  necessary  to  add  that  the  values  of  the  preceding 
productions  are  based  on  silver  at  $40  per  kilogram  and 
gold  at  $1.30  per  gram  (Mexican  Cy.). 


THE  REFUGIO. 


The  Refugio  group  of  mines,  situated  on  the  famous 
La  Luz  vein  comprises  six  different  properties,  at  one 
time  held  by  as  many  different  proprietors.  To-day  they 
are  comprised  under  one  management,  namely,  the  La 
Luz  Mines  Co.  The  total  area  of  ground  covered  is  a 
very  considerable  one  and  a  very  large  amount  of  devel- 
opment work  has  been  carried  out.  These  mines  have 
been  worked  for  over  a  hundred  years,  the  first  Guana- 
juato mineral  discoveries  having  been  made  on  the  La 
Luz  vein.  The  Santa  Clara,  the  San  Vicente  and  the 
Refugio  are  new  consolidated,  and  known  as  the  Refu- 
gio; the  three  shafts  have  been  sunk  to  a  depth  of  800, 
750  and  1,000  feet  respectively.  These  shafts  are  all 
connected  with  levels.  The  average  value  of  the  ores  is 
$12  (say  £2/8)  per  ton,  and  the  mine  has  a  prob- 
able value  of  several  hundred  thousand  dollars  from  ores 
in  sight  and  on  the  dumps,  as  well  as  fillings.  The  char- 
acter of  the  rock  is  quartz  with  sulphides  of  silver  and 
gold,  and  is  very  easily  treated,  being  typical  cj^anide 
ore.  The  same  class  of  mill  fully  decribed  by  me  in  con- 
nection with  the  Peregrina  mine  would  be  admirably 
adapted  for  treating  the  Refugio  ores.  In  fact  this  por- 
tion of  the  camp  resembles  very  closely  the  ground  occu- 
pied by  the  Peregrina,  carrying  a  large  proportion  of 
free  milling  gold.  It  may  be  added  that  these  three 
mines  have  in  their  day  produced  something  like  $50,- 


198  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

000,000,  at  a  time  when  silver  ranked  with  gold  in 
vahie.  Under  the  new  methods  of  treatment  available, 
and  with  the  spirited  management  now  being  displayed 
in  the  camp  generally,  it  is  certain  that  this  group  will 
again  prove  of  great  producing  value,  and  take  their 
position  in  the  front  rank  of  successful  companies  in  the 
Guanajuato  district.  This  much  may  be  said,  that  the 
vein  has  been  proven  to  exist  and  in  good  ore  at  a  depth 
of  800  feet  lower  than  the  present  workings,  namely, 
1,000  feet  in  Refugio. 


THE   BOLANITOS. 


The  Bolanitos  group  of  mines,  the  present  property 
of  Sefior  Jesus  Andrade,  is  likely  at  no  distant  date  to 
become  the  property  of  an  English  corporation,  negotia- 
tions at  the  moment  proceeding  for  their  acquisition,  but 
not  being  actually  concluded  at  the  time  of  this  volume 
going  to  press. 

Like  most,  if  not  all,  Guanajuato  mines  in  the  I>a  liUz 
district,  these  mines  are  celebrated  and  have  had  a 
history  of  their  own.  This  history  brought  down  to  pres- 
ent times  is  somewhat  litigious  in  character,  the  outcome 
it  would  seem  of  too  much  money  having  been  made  and 
feelings  of  envy  and  jealousy  having  been  excited.  At 
least  this  is  according  to  one  of  the  versions  in  circula- 
tion, but  naturally  there  are  others.  There  seems  to  be 
no  doubt  that  the  returns  secured  over  a  period  of  five 
years  amounted  to  $7,000,000  Mex.  (say  £700,000). 

The  Bolanitos  group  comprises  the  following  mines: 


The  Bolanitos  Mine  199 


La  Soledad  del  Abasta  Los  Angeles, 

Viejo,  Santa  Rita  (Bolanitos), 

La  Parfia,  Santa  Gertrudis, 

La  Restauradora,  San  Evodio, 

La  Esperanza,  Santa  Elena, 

La  Caridad,  La  Perla, 

La  Soledad  de  las  Car-  Los  Reyes, 

reras,  Thesalia, 

El  Cuevo,  La  Cruz,  El  Golconda,  El  Carmen, 

Peru,  Ophir. 
La  Voluntad  de  Dios, 

These  properties  have  a  total  superficial  area  of  about 
323.27  pertenencias,  say  about  800  acres,  a  perfect  net- 
work of  veins  permeating-  them.  There  is  no  question 
that  there  exists  great  widths  of  low-grade  gold  ore  above 
the  water  level,  the  former  working  having  been  such  as 
to  leave  a  good  deal  of  ore  in  the  mine.  Above  the  water 
level  there  are  also  pillars  and  fillings.  The  mine  is  at 
present  500  feet  under  water;  it  has  been  worked  only 
to  a  depth  of  700  feet,  but  the  bottom  has  been  left  per- 
fectly good.  Another  important  portion  of  the  property 
is  found  in  the  Restauradora  Tunnel,  where,  besides  a 
net  work  of  gold-bearing  veins,  there  are  three  dipping 
east  and  one  dipping  west,  which  have  given  values  of 
from  30  grams  of  gold  up  to  7  kilos  of  gold  per  ton,  and 
which  would  form  the  basis  of  an  extremely  good  mill- 
ing proposition  in  themselves.  There  are  five  vertical 
shafts,  five  tunnels  and  several  inclines  upon  which  are 
installed  five  English  steam  hoists  of  from  10  to  25 
horse-power,  two  crushers  and  dynamos  for  100  lights, 
extensive  houses  and  offices  and  tools  of  many  kinds. 


200  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

THE  CUBO  MINES. 

The  Cubo  group  of  mines  is  of  considerable  impor- 
tance and  extent,  and  has  a  substantial  record  of  pro- 
duction to  its  credit.  It  is  one  of  the  oldest  properties 
worked  at  Guanajuato,  and  the  books  of  the  various 
mines  composing  the  group  form  some  interesting  read- 
ing to  the  antiquarian  and  geologist,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  man  who  would  know  something  of  what  mining 
cost  and  yielded  in  the  olden  days.  The  ground  contains 
some  extremely  rich  veins,  the  principal  mine  (the  Cubo 
Venture)  having  been  worked  down  to  a  depth  of  2,000 
feet.  This  property  is  on  the  Sierra  vein  system,  and 
has  a  modern  mill  of  some  15  stamps  and  a  cyanide 
plant.  It  is  understood  that  the  Cubo  property  will 
shortly  change  hands,  as  it  is  under  offer  to  some  New 
York  capitalists  at  present. 

Several  important  experiments  have  been  tried  upon 
the  Cubo  mine,  such  as  the  first  cyaniding  by  the  well- 
known  MacArthur-Forest  process,  and  although  this  did 
not  turn  out  to  be  a  success  at  first,  it  soon  afterwards 
did  so,  and  was  finally  adopted  generally  on  the  Guana- 
juato mines.  The  Cubo,  like  so  many  other  properties, 
formerly  belonged  to  the  United  Mexican  Mining 
Company,  Limited,  and  has  all  the  makings  of  a  sound 
and  profitable  enterprise  under  competent  management. 


Chapter  XIV. 


The  Guanajuato  Power  and  Electric  Company. — What  the  Mines 
Owe  to  Electrical  Energy. — Capitalists'  Support. — The  Area 
of  Distribution. — Pipe-lines  3,300  Feet  Long, — Generating 
Station. — The  Turbine  Wheel  versus  Impulse  Wheel. — Power 
House. — Generating  Station. — Transmission  Line. — Irapuato 
Substation. — Guanajuato  Substation. — Electrical  Equipment. — 
A  Growing  Demand  for  Power. 

IN  considering  the  conditions  that  have  produced 
a  new  era  in  mining  methods  in  Guanajuato,  it 
is  essential  to  give  due  credit  to  the  introduction 
of  electric  power  in  abundant  quantities;  in  fact,  the 
introduction  of  electrical  power  may  be  considered  as 
having  caused,  to  a  greater  extent  than  any  other  factor, 
the  present  era  of  prosperity. 

Some  four  years  ago,  when  the  question  of  bringing 
power  into  Guanajuato  was  first  considered,  there  were 
but  sixty  stamps  operating  in  the  district ;  to-day,  mills 
are  in  operation,  or  in  process  of  construction,  with  a 
total  of  580  stamps,  and  many  more  large  mills  are  in 
contemplation.  The  promoters  of  the  Guanajuato 
Power  and  Electric  Co.  had  evidently  great  faith  in  the 
future  of  Guanajuato;  but  before  it  was  decided  to 
build  the  power  plant,  a  careful  study  was  made  of  the 
conditions  prevailing  in  the  camp,  and  it  was  believed 
that  even  the  old  dumps  of  most  of  the  mines  could  be 
milled  and  made  to  pay  a  fair  return  on  the  investment. 
However,  it  was  impossible  to  tell  to  what  extent  ore 
would  be  found  below  the  old  workings,  but  it  seemed 

Page  201 


202  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

reasonable  to  suppose  that  a  camp  which  had  given  such 
great  returns  for  three  centuries  under  the  old  methods 
of  mining  and  milling  would,  when  new  methods  were 
adopted,  again  become  a  great  producer.  The  first  requi- 
site in  the  introduction  of  modern  mining  methods 
was,  however,  cheap  and  reliable  power;  and  after  the 
conditions  were  thoroughly  understood,  capitalists  were 
induced  to  subscribe  the  necessary  money  to  build  a 
power  plant  for  Guanajuato,  in  the  belief  that  other 
capitalists  would  take  over  the  principal  mines  and  make 
them  great  producers. 

It  was  decided  to  bring  power  to  Guanajuato  before 
a  water  power  was  found,  and  it  was  fortunate  that  the 
man  who  first  conceived  the  idea  of  bringing  that  power 
to  Guanajuato  was  one  conversant  with  the  best  electri- 
cal transmission  practice,  otherwise  its  consummation 
might  have  been  delayed  for  many  years,  for  no  suitable 
water  power  was  found  within  100  miles  of  Guanajuato, 
a  distance  which  to  most  engineers  would  have  seemed 
wholly  impracticable  under  the  conditions  then  existing. 

The  Guanajuato  Power  &  Electric  Co.  has  a  water 
power  upon  the  Duero  River,  near  the  City  of  Zamora, 
and  transmits  power  101  miles  on  a  steel  tower  transmis- 
sion line  into  the  City  of  Guanajuato.  It  also  has  a  sub- 
station at  the  town  of  Irapuato,  controlling  a  secondary 
distribution  system  which  is  operated  at  15,000  volts.  In 
Guanajuato  the  distributing  sj^stem  is  at  the  potential 
of  15,000  volts,  and  power  is  carried  at  this  pressure  as 
far  as  the  town  of  I. eon,  lying  some  30  miles  northwest 
of  Guanajuato.  Besides  this,  there  is  a  distributing 
system  of  15,000  volts  starting  west  from  the  gener- 
ating station,  feeding  a  district  along  the  shores  of  I^ake 


The  Hydraulic  Work  203 

Chapala  as  far  as  the  town  of  Ocotlan,  40  miles  distant 
from  the  generating  station.  The  company  is  distribut- 
ing power,  at  the  present  time,  over  103  miles  of  steel- 
tower  transmission  lines,  at  a  potential  of  60,000  volts, 
and  over  100  miles  of  pole-lines  at  the  potential  of 
15,000  volts.  It  also  has  in  contemplation  the  erection 
of  additional  lines  to  reach  other  important  cities  and 
mining  districts.  With  the  exception  of  some  unim- 
portant branch  lines,  in  connection  with  which  it  was 
questionable  whether  the  use  of  power  would  be  contin- 
uous and  would  therefore  warrant  the  best  construction, 
all  the  distributing  lines  of  the  Power  Company  were 
made  in  the  most  thorough  and  substantial  manner. 

The  company  operates  under  a  concession  granted  by 
the  Federal  Government  of  Mexico,  giving  it  the  right 
to  use  8  cubic  meters,  or  283  cubic  feet,  of  water  per 
second  from  the  Duero  River,  near  the  City  of  Zamora, 
as  already  mentioned.  By  the  construction  of  four 
miles  of  canal,  a  fall  of  100  meters,  or  approximately 
330  feet,  is  secured.  The  canal  is  for  the  most  part  dug 
out  of  volcanic  rock,  and  the  head-gate,  penstock,  aque- 
ducts, etc.,  are  constructed  of  heavy  masonry.  A  novel 
feature  in  the  hydraulic  work  is  a  terminal  reservoir, 
which  was  constructed  at  a  considerable  cost  to  get  a 
sufficient  amount  of  storage  for  regulating  the  fluctua- 
tions in  the  power  load  during  diiFerent  periods  of  the 
day. 

Water  is  taken  from  the  penstock  to  the  power-house 
by  means  of  two  pipe-lines  3,300  feet  long,  varying  in 
diameter  from  57  to  69  inches.  A  pipe-line  was  con- 
structed when  the  plant  was  first  put  in,  and  was  made 
throughout  of  steel  varying  from  5/16  to  %  of  an  inch 


204  Meaico's  Treasure-House 

in  thickness,  dependinf?  upon  the  amount  of  the  water 
pressure.  At  the  present  time  the  second  pipe-line  is 
being  erected,  but  in  this  wooden  stave-pipe  will  be  used 
for  the  first  1,500  feet,  or  up  to  a  head  of  approximately 
150  feet;  from  that  point  down  to  the  power-house 
steel-pipe  will  be  used,  in  conformity  with  the  first  pipe- 
line, but  of  somewhat  different  design.  This  new  steel- 
pipe  is  lap- welded,  so  there  ^^ill  be  rivets  only  at  the 
junction  of  two  pipes,  and  the  ends  are  made  "male" 
and  "female"  so  that  the  lower  end  of  one  pipe  fits  ac- 
curately inside  of  the  upper  end  of  the  one  following. 
Large  gate-valves  have  been  put  in  each  pipe-line  just 
before  they  enter  the  power-house,  and  there  is  also  a 
crossover  between  the  two  pipe-lines  containing  a  gate- 
valve,  so  that  it  is  possible  to  run  all  the  units  from  either 
of  the  two  pipe-lines. 

The  generating  station  was  designed  for  4  generating 
units  of  1,500  Kw.,  direct  connected  to  Pelton  water- 
wheels  at  200  R.  P.  ]M.  and  the  installation  first  comple- 
ted consisted  of  two  of  these  units.  At  the  present  time, 
however,  a  3,000  Kw.  unit  is  being  installed,  driven 
from  a  turbine  water-wheel  built  in  accordance  with  the 
Escher- Weiss  patents.  The  first  generating  units  in- 
stalled were  designed  vAih  but  two  bearings,  two  Pelton 
water-wheels  being  overhung  from  the  ends  of  the  gen- 
erating shafts,  instead  of  being  built  with  separate  bear- 
ings and  frames  and  connected  by  means  of  couplings. 
The  Pelton  water-wheels  are  equipped  with  deflecting 
hoods  and  needle  nozzles.  The  deflecting  hoods  are 
operated  by  I^ombard  governors,  and  the  needle  nozzles 
by  hand.  The  speed  regulation  is  therefore  obtained 
by  varying  the  positions  of  the  deflecting  hoods,  and 


Turbine  Generating  Equipment  205 

hand  regulation  from  the  needle  nozzles  is  only  resorted 
to  in  order  to  increase  or  decrease  the  size  of  the  stream. 

At  the  time  that  the  generating  plant  was  designed, 
it  was  generally  conceded  that  turbine  water-wheels 
would  not  give  satisfaction  when  operated  under  a 
pressure  of  140  pounds  per  square  inch;  but  since  that 
time  there  has  been  great  advancement  in  the  design 
of  turbine  water-wheels,  and  as  there  are  distinct  advan- 
tages in  the  turbine  wheel  over  the  impulse  wheel,  it  was 
decided  to  change  the  original  plan  and  to  put  in  a  tur- 
bine generating  equipment  of  the  capacity  of  the  two 
present  generating  units. 

The  power-house  is  200  feet  long  and  32  feet  wide, 
built  of  solid  masonry  and  with  a  steel  roof.  At  one  end 
are  located  the  high  tension  transformers,  and  through 
the  main  body  of  the  house  are  the  various  generating 
units,  with  their  water-wheel  governors  and  various 
valves.  Two  cranes  of  10  tons  each  run  the  entire  length 
of  the  building,  so  as  to  facilitate  the  making  of  repairs. 
The  switchboard  is  directly  in  front  of  the  generating 
room,  in  a  small  extension  of  the  building,  and  the  oper- 
ator at  the  switchboard  is,  therefore,  situated  where  he 
can  observe  the  operation  of  all  the  machinery.  A  rather 
curious  feature  in  connection  with  the  power-house  is  the 
level  of  the  floor,  which  is  considerably  lower  than  the 
level  of  the  outside  ground,  a  tailrace  500  feet  long  and 
approximately  20  feet  deep  being  excavated  to  carry 
away  the  water  discharged.  It  is,  therefore,  exceedingly 
difficult  to  publish  any  picture  of  the  power-house  which 
would  give  readers  any  idea  of  its  true  proportions,  as 
I  should  have  liked  to  have  done. 

The  generating  units  are  three-phase,  7,200  alterna- 


206  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

tions  of  2,300  volts.  The  machines  running  from  the  Pel- 
ton  water-wheels  operate  at  200  revolutions,  and  those  to 
be  driven  from  the  turbine  at  514  revolutions.  A  switch- 
board of  blue  Vermont  marble  is  used  for  controlling 
the  generating  units  and  the  feeders  to  the  step-up 
transformers,  and  no  switching  is  done  upon  the  60,000 
volt  lines  when  carrying  power.  The  generating  sta- 
tion has  now  been  running  some  two  and  one-half  years 
and  no  difficulty  whatever  has  developed  in  the  operation 
of  the  machinery  and  transformers. 

The  transmission  line  between  the  generating  station 
and  Guanajuato  is  constructed  on  steel  towers  made  by 
the  Aeromotor  Co.  of  Chicago,  placed  440  feet  apart, 
supporting  three  copper  cables  of  a  carrying  capacity 
equal  to  No.  1  Bro^vn  &  Sharp  solid  conductor.  The 
insulators  were  built  by  the  Locke  Manufacturing  Co., 
and  were  considered  the  best  on  the  market  at  the  time 
that  the  transmission  line  was  designed.  This  line  was 
the  first  which  was  ever  built  with  steel  towers  and  long 
spans,  and  was  undoubtedly  a  great  advancement  in 
transmission  line  construction.  This  same  construction 
will  be  used  for  other  high  potential  transmission  lines 
now  in  contemplation  by  the  Guanajuato  Power  and 
Electric  Company.  The  transmission  line  has  very  few 
horizontal  angles,  and  there  are  stretches  as  long  as  25 
miles  with  practically  no  horizontal  or  vertical  angles. 

The  Irapuato  substation  is  equipped  with  600  kilo- 
watts transformer  capacity,  and  it  is  expected  that  this 
will  be  increased  to  2,000  kilowatts  within  a  short  time,  in 
order  to  supply  power  for  the  City  of  Celaya  and  other 
districts  which  will  be  fed  from  a  50  mile  33,000  volt 
distributing  line,  to  be  erected  upon  iron  poles.    Around 


Electrical  Equipment  207 


the  town  of  Irapuato,  power  is  supplied  for  agriculture 
and  manufacturing  purposes.  A  good  portion  of  the 
power  is  used  for  pumping  water  from  wells  for  the  ir- 
rigation of  strawberries,  the  growing  of  which  is  an  in- 
dustry for  which  Irapuato  is  justly  famous. 

In  Guanajuato  the  company  owns  some  extremely 
attractive  grounds  situated  at  the  upper  end  of  the 
city,  where  the  substation  and  residence  buildings  are 
also  located.  The  substation  contains  besides  the  elec- 
trical equipment,  a  shop  and  testing  room,  as  well  as  the 
main  Mexican  offices  of  the  company. 

The  electrical  equipment  consists  of  eight  970  kilo- 
watt transformers,  reducing  the  pressure  from  60,000  to 
15,000  volts,  together  with  the  necessary  switchboards 
and  switching  devices,  and  everything  is  built  in  the 
most  thorough  and  substantial  manner.  From  the  sub- 
station, eight  distributing  circuits  are  carried  out  upon 
five  different  pole-lines  for  supplying  power  to  the  var- 
ious sections  of  the  mining  camp  and  the  town  of  Leon. 
In  all,  there  are  some  60  miles  of  15,000  volt-distributing 
circuits  fed  from  the  Guanajuato  substation,  and  other 
lines  of  importance  are  projected  for  supplying  addi- 
tional new  districts.  Transformer  houses  are  located  at 
the  various  mines  for  reducing  the  voltage  from  15,000 
to  460,  the  potential  generally  used  by  the  mining  com- 
panies. The  distributing  lines,  as  first  constructed,  were 
erected  upon  wooden  poles ;  but  these  are  now  to  be  re- 
placed by  iron  poles,  where  the  load  has  become  impor- 
tant, and  in  time  the  whole  system  will  be  changed  from 
wooden  to  iron  construction. 

The  Guanajuato  Power  and  Electric  Co.'s  power-load 
has  developed  from  below  1,000  horse-power  to  more 


208  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

than  4,000  horse-power,  and  the  contracts  now  in  sight 
will  still  further  increase  the  demand  for  power.  In  view 
of  the  probability  that  the  water-power  already  devel- 
oped will  prove  inadequate  for  the  future  needs  of  Gua- 
najuato and  other  places,  the  company  is  taking  steps 
to  develop  other  water  powers  in  the  near  future.  It  is 
also  making  various  improvements  in  its  distributing 
circuits  and  transmission  lines  so  as  to  meet  all  future 
needs  of  its  customers  and  guarantee  to  them  the  best  of 
service. 

The  effect  upon  the  Guanajuato  mining  camp  of  the 
building  of  such  an  important  power  plant  cannot  be 
overestimated,  for  the  company  has  reduced  by  at  least 
one-half  the  cost  of  power,  at  the  same  time  furnishing 
power  to  its  customers,  and  moreover  power  that  can  be 
readily  applied  in  many  cases  where  the  direct  applica- 
tion for  steam  power  would  be  impossible.  The  credit 
for  such  an  important  enterprise  is  due  principally  to 
Messrs.  Hine  and  Curtis,  who  originally  conceived  and 
promoted  the  enterprise,  and  scarcely  any  less  to  Mr.  G. 
W.  McElhiney,  of  Guanajuato,  who  co-operated  with 
them  and  conducted  the  Mexican  end  of  the  promo- 
tion. Credit  should  also  be  given  to  the  strong  body 
of  capitalists  who  pluckily  came  forward  with  a  million 
dollars  (£200,000)  for  the  purposes  of  the  construction 
of  the  power  plant. 

The  preliminary  engineering  and  reports  upon  the 
water  power  and  power  field  were  made  by  jNIessrs.  Rob- 
ert ISIcF.  Doble,  of  San  Francisco;  Mr.  H.  H.  Filley,  of 
Kansas  City,  and  ]Mr.  Chas.  T.  Main,  of  Boston.  Mr. 
Doble  acted  as  consulting  engineer,  and  INIr.  Filley  as 
chief  engineer  during  construction.     Mr.   Filley  took 


"^   ^ 


The  Companies  and  the  Power  209 


direct  charge  of  the  construction  of  the  hydraulic  work 
and  generating  station,  and  Mr.  Norman  Rowe  had 
charge  of  the  construction  in  the  Guanajuato  Camp,  and 
is  now  General  Superintendent  in  charge  of  operation 
and  the  commercial  business  in  Mexico. 

It  is  stated  that  the  path  of  the  Guanajuato  Power 
and  Electric  Company  was  not  always  as  smooth  and  as 
prosperous  as  is  the  case  to-day.  It  was  extremely  diffi- 
cult to  convince  some  of  the  companies  working  that 
electric  power  was  possible,  or,  being  possible,  that  it 
could  be  apphed  economically  and  reliably  to  the  mines' 
machinery.  One  far-seeing  individual,  a  native,  went 
so  far  as  to  ostentatiously  order  and  erect  a  new  steam- 
hoist  at  the  very  time  that  the  electric  companies' 
cables  were  being  brought  into  Guanajuato.  That  fool- 
ish and  misguided  man  has  Hved  to  repent  his  temerity, 
and  has  now  learned  that  "ignorance  never  settles  a 
question."  To-day  that  steam-hoist  is  for  sale  as  old- 
iron! 

But,  although  eventually  nearly  all  the  mining  com- 
panies and  private  owners  signed  contracts  for  the  new 
motive  power,  only  one  out  of  the  whole  lot  was  actually 
ready  to  connect  up  when  it  arrived.  The  electric  cur- 
rent was  waiting  for  nearly  a  twelvemonth  to  turn  the 
machinery,  some  of  which  was  still  on  the  road. 

But  things  are  very  different  to-day,  and  there  is  no 
better  supplied  nor  any  better-hghted  town  than  that  of 
Guanajuato,  which  scintillates  at  dark,  and,  from  a 
height,  looks  like  a  beautiful  golden  glowworm  twink- 
ling and  sparkling  in  the  soft  darkness  of  the  night. 
Disappointing  as  they  may  have  found  their  reform  ef- 
forts at  first,  the  plucky  pioneers  and  sponsors  of  the 


210  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

Guanajuato  Power  and  Electric  Company  can  point 
with  pride  and  satisfaction  to  the  latter-day  prosperity 
'v\ith  which  they  have  met.  But  cause  for  congratula- 
tion rests  with  the  mining  companies  especially,  since 
their  former  failures  have  been  turned  to  successes  and 
their  disappointments  to  brilliant  realizations. 


Chapter  XV. 

British  Capital  in  Guanajuato  Mines  and  Mexico  Generally. — Two 
Great  Concerns^  one  Dead  and  the  other  Dying. — Some  Defec- 
tive Management  of  By-gone  Times. — Ward's  Criticisms  of 
Companies  in  his  Days. — The  Anglo-Mexican  Company  and 
The  United  Mexican  Company. — Some  Historic  Mines  and 
What  has  Become  of  Them. — Extravagant  Management  but 
Huge  Profits. — The  Question  of  Titles. — Mines  Selection 
Company  of  Mexico. 

FROM  a  Britisher's  point  of  view  it  is  somewhat 
mortifying  to  read  of  the  former  importance 
which  British  enterprises  possessed  in  Mexico, 
especially  with  regard  to  mining,  compared  with  their 
position  to-day.  Whereas  probably  the  sum  of  £80,000,- 
000  would  represent  the  whole  of  the  capital  invested  in 
this  country  by  Great  Britain  at  this  time,  as  far  back 
as  1827,  and  even  earlier,  mining  alone  undertaken  by 
wBritish  investors  exceeded  in  value  .£5,000,000.  Con- 
"sidering  the  almost  overwhelming  difficulties  which  en- 
terprises of  this  character  had  to  encounter  in  those 
days,  when  there  were  no  railways  or  decent  wagon 
roads  by  which  machinery  could  be  transported  to  the 
mines,  and  when  every  pound  of  such  material  had  to  be 
carried  on  mule-back,  it  is  surprising  to  find  that  the  in- 
dustry advanced  as  far  as  it  did. 

The  two  greatest  British  concerns  had  their  offices  in 
Guanajuato, — the  Anglo-Mexican  Company  and  the 
United  Mexican  Company. 

No  doubt  in  those  days  money  was  lost  almost  as 
rapidly  as  it  was  invested,  owing  to  the  ignorance  which 

Page  211 


212  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

prevailed  in  regard  to  the  mining  conditions  of  the 
country,  and  the  incompetent  persons  who  were  sent  out 
to  take  charge  of  the  mines.  History  repeats  itself  in 
no  particular  more  remarkably  than  that  of  mining,  and 
what  happened  in  JNIexico  in  those  early  daj^s  has  been 
experienced  in  South  Africa,  New  Zealand  and  West- 
ern Australia  since.  Not  only  were  men  who  knew  ab- 
solutely nothing  about  mining  sent  out  to  take  charge 
(being  probabh^  relatives  of  some  of  the  Directors  who 
had  to  be  found  jobs  somewhere  and  somehow),  but 
gross  exaggeration  was  indulged  in  as  to  the  real  value 
of  the  mines  themselves.  A  very  different  condition  of 
things  exists  to-day  both  in  regard  to  management,  di- 
rect representation  and  accurate  reports  upon  the  values 
of  properties,  and  all  immensely  for  the  better. 

Although  I  say  it  with  regret,  and  am  in  no  way 
lacking  in  respect  for  the  individual  in  question,  there 
can  be  no  doubt  at  all  that  Baron  von  Humboldt  was 
(perhaps  unwittingly)  responsible  for  most  of  the  false 
impressions  which  were  created  in  Europe  as  to  the 
INIexican  mines  and  their  working.  No  allowances  were 
made  for  the  serious  drawbacks  to  which  I  refer,  in- 
cluding the  difficulty  of  transportation,  the  lack  of  ef- 
ficient native  labor  and  the  general  disturbance  of  the 
country.  So  ignorant  were  those  who  invested  their 
money  in  mining  in  Mexico  in  the  early  days  that  they 
actually  believed  that  everything  existed  to  hand  except 
water,  and  that  this  was  to  be  obtained  by  the  latest  kind 
of  British  mining  machinery!  But  Von  Humboldt's  re- 
clame had  its  effect,  a  stream  of  immigrants  from  all 
parts  of  Europe  arriving,  especially  from  England, — 
Cornwall  being  drained  of  half  its  population, — men 


Ward's  Strong  Criticism  213 

who  were  miners  and  men  who  were  not  and  never  would 
be  "miners" — proceeding  to  the  new  El  Dorado,  only, 
of  course,  to  be  disappointed  and  disillusionized  when 
they  got  there. 

Ward,  in  his  work  on  Mexico,  states  that  in  the  year 
1825,  the  Anglo-JMexican  Company  alone  "expended 
nearly  £30,000  in  salaries  to  men,  most  of  whom  were 
shortly  afterwards  dismissed,"  and  fully  £100,000  in 
machinery,  including  duties  and  carriage  from  the 
coast,  "not  one-twentieth  part  of  which  was  ever  made 
use  of."  This  same  authority  apparently  encountered 
in  his  day  a  very  similar  class  of  men  to  those  whom  I 
and  others  have  met  with  at  several  mining  centers 
abroad,  and  notably  in  our  own  colonies,  for  he  says : — 
"English  of  the  lower  orders  appear  to  undergo  a  change 
when  they  leave  their  own  country,  which  renders  them 
the  most  inefficient  of  human  beings, — indolence,  obsti- 
nacy and  insolence  take  but  too  soon  the  place  of  those 
qualities  by  which  our  working  classes  are  distinguished 
at  home,  and  as  their  prejudices  are  not  less  strong  than 
those  which  they  have  encountered  on  the  part  of  the  na- 
tives, the  result  in  all  cases,  where  mutual  assistance  is  re- 
quired, cannot  be  favorable." 

Proceeding,  he  declares  that  "  the  rage  for  taking  up 
mining  contracts  was  such  in  1825  that  many  adven- 
turers who  presented  themselves  in  London  for  that  pur- 
pose disposed  of  mines,  the  value  of  which  was,  to  say 
the  least,  very  questionable,  to  companies  who  bought 
them  without  making  any  inquiries";  large  sums  of 
money  were  paid  down  "for  mere  pits,  which,  upon  in- 
vestigation, it  was  found  impossible  to  work." 

With  such  an  example  before  us  to-day,  it  should  be 


214  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

a  comparatively  easy  matter  to  avoid  making  any  similar 
mistakes  in  future,  nor,  indeed,  is  it  at  all  probable  that 
future  in^'esto^s  in  IMexican  mines  will  go  far  wrong  in 
their  selection  provided  that  they  will  avail  themselves  of 
the  abundant  opportunities  that  exist  for  making  proper 
inquiries  from  responsible  people  on  the  spot. 

Among  the  oldest  mining  companies  formerly  work- 
ing in  iNIexico  and  having  large  holdings  in  Guanajuato, 
were  the  said  Anglo- JNIexican  Company  and  United 
Mexican  Company.  Both  were  heavily  capitalized,  the 
former  having  £1,000,000  and  the  latter  £1,200,000. 
The  Anglo-JNlexican  Company  had  holdings  in  Guana- 
juato, Mexico,  Queretaro,  San  Luis  Potosi  and  other 
States;  while  the  United  Mexican  Company  possessed 
huge  interests  in  the  States  of  Guanajuato,  Guadala- 
jara, Zacatecas,  Chihuahua,  Oaxaca  and  Mexico. 

In  Guanajuato  the  Anglo-Mexican  Company  owned 
or  leased  the  following  mines:  The  Valenciana,  The 
ISIellado,  The  Tepayac,  The  Sirena,  The  Villalpando, 
and  several  mines  on  the  Veta  Madre  and  smaller  veins. 

Of  all  these  properties  none  remain  to-day  in  the  pos- 
session of  the  company,  which,  however,  is  still  living — 
but  is  almost  defunct ;  and  in  fact  it  will  probably  go  out 
of  business  entirely  as  soon  as  one  remaining  mine,  the 
San  Caj^etano,  of  which  it  still  holds  possession,  is  dis- 
posed of. 

The  United  ISIexican  Company  leased  the  Rayas  mine 
from  the  IVIarquis  de  Rayas,  whose  ancestor  had  been 
ennobled  on  account  of  the  generous  donations  which  he 
made  from  his  mine  to  the  King  of  Spain  and  to  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church.  The  Rayas  is  credited  with 
having  been  the  first  silver  mine  discovered  in  the  Guan- 


Tlil".    (ir.WA.n    Al  ()     PoWl.li     AM)     I'J.I.C    IKIC     Co. 

Interior  of"  siil)-st.iti<m  at   (  liiaiiajiiato. 


Platf  Vfi.  1 


[See  J)age  211. 


Dispersal  of  Properties  215 


ajuato  district,  and  was  worked  for  many  years  by  the 
Rayas  family  with  wonderful  results.  The  same  com- 
pany, at  this  time,  possessed  the  Jesus  Maria  mine  at  La 
Luz  (now  the  property  of  the  Guanajuato  Amalgama- 
ted Gold  Mines  Co. ) ,  El  Cubo,  La  Cata  and  others.  As 
has  been  shown,  one  by  one  these  properties  were  parted 
with,  the  San  Cayetano  being  the  only  remaining  one  in 
the  hands  of  the  company.  The  original  shareholders 
have  long  since  passed  away,  and  the  present  ones,  it  is 
understood,  are  anxious  to  wind  up  the  affairs  of  the 
company  permanently  and  let  it  retire  from  business. 
The  San  Cayetano  has  been  the  property  of  the  com- 
pany since  the  year  1868,  and  has  been  celebrated  on  ac- 
count of  its  remarkable  tunnel,  3,036  meters  long,  which 
it  paid  for  in  two  years'  profits  from  the  mine.  The  Va- 
lenciana  is  now  the  property  of  the  Reduction  and  Mines 
Co.  of  Guanajuato,  as  are  the  Mellado  and  the  Te- 
payac. 

The  Sirena  is  the  property  of  the  Guanajuato  Consol- 
idated Mining  and  Milhng  Company,  the  Villalpando 
(now  incorporated  in  the  Cubo  group)  is  the  property 
of  some  New  York  capitalists,  and  may  shortly  be  sold 
to  an  English  syndicate  or  an  American  company,  and 
thus  the  story  continues. 

The  mines  controlled  by  the  United  Mexican  Com- 
pany in  Guanajuato  comprised  the  Rayas,  the  Secho, 
the  Cata,  the  Calera,  the  San  Roquito,  the  San  Rafael, 
La  America  and  the  Guadalupe.  Here,  again,  most  of 
these  properties  have  passed  into  other  hands,  and  the 
parent  company  itself  has  faded  out  of  existence.  The 
various  holdings  which  it  had  in  other  States  of  Mexico, 
some  of  which  have  become  famous,  do  not  concern  the 


216  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

pages  of  this  publication,  which  proposes  to  deal  exclu- 
sively with  the  mines  of  Guanajuato  and  their  particular 
history. 

It  is  fortunate  that  there  are  still  in  existence  to-day 
copies  of  the  original  prospectuses  issued  in  1824  and 
1825  of  these  two  British  companies  doing  business  in 
ISIexican  mining.  A  most  remarkable  feature  of  these 
musty  documents  is  that  many  of  the  names  therein 
mentioned  are  still  known,  and  known  honorably,  in 
the  City  of  London  and  Mexico  to-day,  although  the 
original  owners  have  long  since  passed  away  from  this 
world  of  tribulation  and  disappointments. 

The  Anglo-JNIexican  Company,  m  hich  was  the  pioneer 
enterprise  for  working  the  INlexican  mines  upon  a 
systematic  and  efficient  scale,  points  out  in  its  prospec- 
tus that  it  was  "an  association  for  assisting  in  working 
the  mines  of  Mexico  and  other  parts  of  Spanish  Amer- 
ica." By  the  prospectus  it  appears  that  it  "was  formed 
for  the  purpose  of  supplying  capital  for  putting  in 
activity  some  of  the  principal  and  most  productive  mines 
in  ^Mexico."  That  "the  working  of  these  mines  had  been 
suspended  during  the  Revolution  on  account  of  the 
disturbed  state  of  the  country.  That  the  principal  part 
of  them  were,  in  consequence,  nearly  filled  with  water, 
and  that  the  proprietors,  through  the  deprivation  of  their 
income,  were  ^vithout  the  means  of  restoring  the  mines 
to  their  productive  state."  That  "contracts  had  been 
entered  into  with  the  proprietors  of  mines  for  working 
them  on  terms  of  mutual  advantage,  consisting,  in  some 
cases,  of  a  right  to  a  share  of  the  product  of  the  mine  for 
a  term  of  years;  and,  in  otlier  instances,  of  the  cession  of 
part  of  the  proprietorship." 


The  Anglo-Meooican  Company  217 

The  prospectus  continues  with  much  precision  and 
persuasion  to  point  out  that  "it  was  expected,  from  the 
negotiations  then  in  progress,  that  other  contracts  would 
be  hereafter  offered  to  the  association  in  Mexico  and 
other  parts  of  Spanish  America,  but  that  the  association 
was  to  confine  itself  only  to  those  mines  which  were 
opened,  the  value  of  which  was  ascertained  by  authentic 
documents,  and  the  working  of  which  had  been  suspend- 
ed only  by  temporary  difficulties.  The  association  was 
not,  therefore,  to  embark  in  the  speculation  of  opening 
new  mines."  It  appeared  that  six  mines  were  already  en- 
gaged by  the  association.  "The  necessary  machinery 
was  immediately  to  be  prepared  and  forwarded  to  Mex- 
ico in  performance  of  their  contracts."  The  capital  of  this 
company  was  £1,000,000,  divided  into  10,000  shares  of 
<£100  each.  The  following  individuals  were  the  directors 
and  auditors : — 

Directors. 

Mr.  Matthias  Attwood,  M.  P.,  Mr.  J.  D.  Powles, 

Mr.  J.  H.  Anderdon,  Mr.  R.  M.  Raikes, 

Mr.  David  Bevan,  Mr.  Benjamin  Shaw, 

Mr.  David  Barclay,  Mr.  W.   Thompson,   M.   P.  and 

Mr.  Charles  Herring,  Alderman, 

Mr.  George  Lyall,  Mr.  William  Ward. 

Mr.  Stewart  Marjoribanks, 

Auditors. 

Mr.  William  Fry,  Mr.  Thomas  Richardson. 

The  belief  avowed  in  the  prospectus  of  the  Anglo- 
Mexican  Association  or  "Companj^"  as  it  was  variously 
called  at  different  periods  of  its  career,  was,  "that  by  the 
introduction  of  English  capital,  skill,  experience,  and 
machinery,  the  expenses  of  working  these  mines  might 
be   greatly   reduced,    and    their    produce    much    aug- 


218  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

mented";  and  it  was  stated  that  the  proprietors  of  one 
of  the  mines,  viz.,  the  Valenciana,  calculated  that  they 
would  be  able  to  provide  for  the  repayment  of  the  ad- 
vances to  be  made  for  working  that  mine  within  two 
years  from  the  commencement  of  that  working,  and  also 
to  make  a  division  of  profits.  This  association  was 
formed  in  the  month  of  January,  1824*.  On  February 
26,  1825,  a  meeting  of  the  proprietors  of  the  Anglo- 
JNlexican  Association  was  held,  and  a  report  of  its  pro- 
ceedings was  then  submitted.  By  this  report  it  appeared 
that  the  commissioners  on  behalf  of  the  association 
reached  INIexico  in  the  middle  of  the  month  of  August, 
1824,  and,  on  November  15  following,  transmitted  to 
the  directors  in  England  information  that  the  following 
mines  were  either  being  worked  or  in  a  state  of  prepara- 
tion for  working: — 

Guanajuato  Vein. 
jNIines:  Valenciana,  Sirena,  Santa  Rosa,  Guadalupe. 

Catorce  Vein. 
Mines:    Concepcion,  Guadalupe. 

Of  these  mines,  the  two  principal  were  then  the  Va- 
lenciana and  Concepcion.  The  first  was,  of  course,  the 
most  celebrated  in  Mexico.  It  had  even  at  that  time 
been  worked  sixty  years.  Its  average  annual  net  prod- 
uct, from  1792  to  1802,  was  not  less  than  £150,000  per 
annum,  and  although  during  those  years,  by  its  injudi- 
cious management,  the  expenses  of  its  working  were 
dou])led,  the  supply  of  ore  was,  nevertheless,  so  consider- 
able that  the  net  profit  remained  the  same. 

In  relation  to  the  United  INIexican  Mining  Associa- 
tion, which  appeared  very  shortly  after  the  Anglo-Mexi- 


Some  Notable  Individuals  219 

can,  it  would  seem  from  a  prospectus  of  this  company, 
"that,  owing  to  the  want  of  capital,  it  has  been  custom- 
ary for  proprietors  of  mines  in  Mexico  to  form  engage- 
ments with  capitalists,  by  virtue  of  which  the  capitalist 
undertakes  to  work  the  mine  upon  terms  of  expected  ad- 
vantage to  both  parties."  That  the  association  "was 
formed  for  the  same  purpose:  and  it  appears  that  the 
objects  of  this  association  were  to  be  obtained  by  the 
combination  of  European  skill  and  capital  with  Mexi- 
can interests.  For  this  purpose  Don  Lucas  Alaman, 
late  representative  in  the  Spanish  Cortes  for  Guana- 
juato, had  been  associated  with  the  company,  and  was  to 
be  appointed  the  president  oi  the  Mexican  board  of 
management ;  but  it  had  not  been  deemed  expedient  to 
enter  into  actual  contracts  for  working  mines  until  an 
association  had  been  formed  and  the  extent  of  its  capital 
ascertained.  In  case  the  plan  for  forming  an  association 
was  successful,  and  mines  were  obtained,  a  dividend  was 
promised  as  soon  as  a  profit  of  5  per  cent,  was  realized." 
The  capital  of  the  association  was  to  be  £240,000  and 
divided  into  six  thousand  shares  of  <£40  each.  This  was 
afterwards  increased  to  the  sum  of  .£1,200,000.  The 
following  individuals  appeared  on  the  prospectus  as  the 
intended  directors  and  auditors: 

London  Directors. 

Mr.  John  Biddulph,  Mr.  Thomas  Masterman, 

Mr.  Samuel  Bosanquet,  Mr.  Frederick  J.  Pigou, 

Mr.  John  Easthope,  Mr.  Jacob  Ricardo, 

Mr.  Charles  David  Gordon,  Mr.  Richard  Sanderson, 

Mr.  James  Hey  gate,  jun.,  I\Ir.  Rowland  Stephenson, 

Mr.   John  Hullett,  Mr.  Charles  Widder. 

Auditors. 

Mr.   Thomas  Borradaile,  Mr.  Joseph  Harris. 

Mexican  Board  of  Management. 

President, Don  Lucas  Alaman; 

and  two  Managers,  to  be  appointed  by  the  Court  of  Directors. 


220  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

An  association  was  eventually  formed.  On  ^larch  1, 
1825,  a  meeting  of  the  proprietors  of  this  company  was 
called,  when  they  were  informed  that  the  mines  of  Ray  as, 
Cata,  La  Bomba  de  Copula,  Santa  Ana,  San  Juan,  and 
San  Miguel,  situate  in  the  Guanajuato  district,  had  been 
engaged  for  the  purposes  of  the  company,  but  that  a  de- 
tailed report  of  the  proceedings  and  progress  of  the  as- 
sociation was  daily  expected  from  the  president  of  the 
jNIexican  board  of  management,  and  therefore  it  was 
deemed  expedient  not  to  enter  into  a  minute  account  at 
the  present  meeting.  The  above  mentioned  increase  of 
the  capital  of  the  association  was  agreed  upon,  and, 
finally,  18,000  new  shares,  of  £40  each,  were  issued,  fol- 
lowed by  another  of  £240,000  later  on;  each  holder  of  a 
former  share  having  the  hberty  to  take  three  of  the  new- 
shares  of  the  company. 

It  was  in  about  the  year  1824  that  the  Anglo-]Mexi- 
can  Company,  Ltd.,  was  formed  in  London,  and  A.  M. 
Williamson  was  the  managing  director.  When  this 
concern  took  over  the  properties  of  the  Valenciana,  the 
J^lellado,  the  Tepayac,  the  Sirena,  and  the  Villalpando, 
they  were  in  a  state  of  almost  complete  ruin.  One  j^ear 
afterwards  the  broken  machinery  had  been  entirely  re- 
placed, the  Villalpando  and  Sirena  had  been  nearly 
drained  of  their  water,  and  the  Valenciana  was  produc- 
ing about  10,000  tons  of  rich  ore  weekly.  The  manager 
of  that  day  was  a  brilliant  one  evidently,  for,  in  a  few 
months'  time  from  taking  over  possession,  he  had  built 
no  fewer  than  nine  haciendas  de  beneficio  (amalgama- 
tion works)  and  had  erected  and  equipped  a  number  of 
crushing  mills.  As  many  as  3,100  mules  were  employed 
at  one  time  on  the  drainage  works,  while  another  400 


Heavy  Cost  of  Working  221 


were  doing  duty  in  carrying  ores  from  the  mine.  The 
weekly  wage-bill  of  the  Valenciana  alone,  which  was 
then  and  for  many  years  afterwards  the  principal  under- 
taking of  the  company,  amounted  to  the  sum  of  £1,200; 
while,  up  to  the  date  of  September,  1826,  about  18 
months  after  the  company  took  over  this  mine  among 
the  others  mentioned,  the  expenses  totalled  up  to  <£134,- 
452.  It  is  clear  that  in  those  far-off  days  no  money  was 
spared  in  the  way  of  development,  and  in  some  instances 
— especially  that  of  the  Valenciana — the  outlay  was 
abundantly  rewarded. 

Before  the  Anglo-Mexican  Company  came  into  pos- 
session, and  just  when  the  Valenciana  had  reached  the 
profitable  stage,  the  Mexican  Revolution  broke  out  with 
great  fury,  putting  a  tem]3orary  stop  to  all  work.  At 
that  exciting  period  the  mine  was  actually  putting  out 
ore  to  the  value  of  £289,213  per  annum;  so  that  the 
Anglo-Mexican  Company  knew  what  they  were  doing 
when  they  purchased  the  mine  in  1825  for  a  compara- 
tively modest  amount  of  ready  cash. 

The  weekly  expenditure  of  the  United  Mexican  Com- 
pany, Ltd.,  was  another  big  item  in  mine  management 
at  Guanajuato  in  the  early  days  of  British  industrj^ 
there.  The  directors  of  this  company  were  Mr.  Glen- 
nie,  Mr.  Lucas  Alaman  and  Mr.  Agassiz.  Speaking  of 
his  first  visit  to  Guanajuato,  however,  Mr.  Ward  says 
that  he  was  particularly  struck  with  the  fact  that,  in  spite 
of  all  that  the  British  companies  had  done  and  all  the 
money  which  had  been  expended  there — amounting  to 
more  than  had  been  expended  upon  any  other  single 
spot  in  the  Republic — "this  was  nothing  in  comparison 
with  what  must  formerly  have  been  done,"  that  is  to  say 


222  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

anterior  to  the  Kevoliition.  The  United  INIexican  Com- 
pany spent  £100,000  on  the  Rayas  mine  in  a  few 
months'  time;  and  almost  similar  sums  were  expended 
upon  the  La  Veta  Negra,  at  Sombrerete,  and  upon 
other  mines  owned  by  the  same  company  in  Zacatecas. 

So  extravagant  was  the  management  of  the  United 
IVIexican  Company  in  the  early  days  of  its  career  that 
the  shareholders  at  home  vigorously  objected,  and  one 
result  of  this  was  that  nearly  all  the  British  and  other 
European  workmen  and  officials  were  dismissed,  and 
only  native  Mexicans  engaged.  The  opposition  from 
London  was  not  unreasonable  when  one  comes  to  re- 
m. ember  that  the  sum  of  £30,000  had  been  paid  in 
about  one  year's  time  to  men  most  of  whom  had  to  be 
dismissed  for  incompetency  or  insubordination,  while 
£100,000  had  been  expended  upon  machinerj'^  not  one' 
twentieth  part  of  which,  we  are  told,  was  ever  used.  It 
would  appear  then  that  the  lamentable  experiences  at 
Panama  were  not  so  unique  as  historians  have  represent- 
ed, although  they  were  no  doubt  more  extensive.  It  is 
only  another  proof  of  Solomon's  wise  words — "There  is 
nothing  new  under  the  sun." 

There  is  probably  no  subject  w^hich  concerns  share- 
holders interested  in  mining  businesses  located  in  foreign 
countries,  more  vitally  than  that  of  titles.  It  is  to  be 
feared,  however,  that  this  matter  is  not  as  thoroughly 
considered  by  investors  as  it  should  be,  while  purchasers 
of  mining  properties,  whose  sole  idea  is,  perhaps,  to 
redispose  of  their  acquisitions  at  high  profits — and  as 
soon  as  possible — frequently  display  lamentable  negli- 
gence in  assuring  themselves  as  to  the  legality  and  re- 
liability of  such  titles.    In  Mexico,  where  mining  laws 


■MEXICO:  OUTPUT  OF  GOLD:   1877-1905^. 


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Safety  of  Mining  Titles  223 

are  exceedingly  simple,  titles  are  usually  perfectly  well 
secured,  and  the  Government  has  done  more,  perhaps,  to 
render  the  mining  laws  fair,  just,  and  reliable,  than  that 
of  any  other  country  with  which  I  am  acquainted.  It  is 
but  natural  that  in  a  foreign  country  disputes  should  oc- 
casionally arise,  but  such  cases,  however,  are  singularly 
few  in  Mexico,  and  they  certainly  receive  a  fair  and  im- 
partial hearing,  justice  being  done  to  both  parties.  Nor 
should  there  be  any  occasion  to  fear  lawsuits  if  proper 
precautions  are  taken  in  the  transfer  of  properties,  and 
some  native  lawyer  well  acquainted  with  the  Mexican 
law  of  titles  is  employed. 

This  is  neither  the  time  nor  the  place  to  discourse  upon 
the  question  of  mining  titles  at  length;  it  is  sufficient, 
probably,  to  say  that  while  many  titles  to  mining  proper- 
ties date  back  for  hundreds  of  years,  as  a  general  rule 
this  lapse  of  time  is  no  impediment  to  their  substantia- 
tion. Records  for  several  hundreds  of  years  exist,  and  al- 
though to  the  uninitiated  some  of  the  titles  covering 
mining  properties,  upon  first  investigation,  may  appear 
rather  involved  owing  to  the  number  of  individuals,  liv- 
ing and  dead,  who  are  or  were  at  one  time  interested  in 
them,  they  are  really  simple  enough  compared  with  the 
titles,  and  the  laws  which  cover  them,  existing  in  the 
United  States  of  America.  Those  of  Mexico  certainly 
afford  fewer  loopholes  for  evasion  and  less  chance  for 
mere  technicalities  proving  successful.  It  will,  there- 
fore, be  recognized  that  foreign  capital  invested  in  Mex- 
ican mining  enterprises  is  quite  as  safe  as  that  invested  in 
most  countries,  and  a  great  deal  safer  than  in  some. 

In  this  connection  I  may  call  attention  to  a  recently 
organized  concern  called  the  "Mines  Selection  Company 


224  Mexicans  Treasure-House 

of  ^Mexico,"  having  its  principal  quarters  at  Guanajuato 
and  for  its  main  object  the  rendering  of  a  confidential 
and  efficient  service,  not  only  to  the  mine-owners,  mining 
companies,  etc.,  but  to  prospective  individual  purchasers 
and  shareholders.  This  company  owed  its  inception  to 
tlie  ingenuity  and  enterprise,  coupled  with  the  ripe  ex- 
perience, of  ^lessrs. MacDonald  of  Guanajuato, who  are 
and  have  been  for  some  years  connected  with  the 
Guanajuato  Consolidated  jNIining  &  ^lilling  Company. 
Through  their  efforts  and  services,  reports  supplement- 
ed with  maps  and  estimates  of  the  costs  of  the  most 
modern  and  economical  mining  and  milling  machinery, 
can  be  henceforth  obtained,  and  also  ideas  gathered  as  to 
the  most  efficient  methods  of  working  the  mines  and  con- 
ducting the  extraction  and  treatment  of  the  ores.  For 
such  prospective  purchasers  of  Mexican  mining  proper- 
ties who  have  no  personal  knowledge  of  the  country,  the 
services  of  men  of  experience  like  Messrs.  INIacDonald 
cannot  be  overrated.  It  is  probably  no  exaggeration  to 
say  that  there  is  no  mining  property  in  the  Guanajuato 
District  of  Mexico  with  which  these  gentlemen  are  not 
intimately  acquainted ;  and  it  is  only  necessary  to  recol- 
lect the  fact  that  it  was  through  them  that  El  Real 
del  Monte  mines,  at  Pachuca,  were  disposed  of  to  an 
American  corporation  under  the  most  successful  aus- 
pices. It  is  questionable  whether  any  more  brilliant  coup 
than  this  has  been  carried  out  for  a  long  time,  and  it  is 
especially  noteworthy  from  the  fact  that  for  a  year 
previous  attempts  had  been  made  in  other  quarters  to 
complete  the  transaction,  but  without  avail.  The  Amer- 
ican company  owning  El  Real  del  Monte  mines  to-day 
is  one  of  the  most  powerful  and  influential  corporations 
in  the  United  States. 


Advantages  of  Electrical  Machinery  225 


ELECTRICITY  IN  MINING. 

The  crude  patio  process  of  amalgamation  for  extract- 
ing the  precious  metals  from  the  ore  has,  as  I  have 
shown,  been  superseded  by  mechanical  appliances,  and 
steam  had  hardly  been  adopted  as  an  improved  means 
of  power  in  Mexico  to  replace  man  and  mule  when 
electricity  became  very  generally  and  decidedly  quickly 
introduced.  This  came  about  naturally  enough  in  this 
Republic,  where  fuel  is  expensive  and  water  power  is 
available.  Guanajuato,  as  a  district,  has  been  among 
the  first  to  adopt  electricity  in  aU  mining  and  milhng 
possibilities.  Not  only  is  the  expense  of  power  reduced 
from  one-half  to  one-third,  but  the  conveniences  which 
accrue  and  the  possibilities  which  open  with  electric  drive 
are  unlimited.  One  has  only  to  compare  for  a  moment 
the  simplicity  of  running  two  or  three  wires  to  elec- 
trically-driven pumps  or  compressors  in  a  mine  and 
working  the  same  by  steam-pipe  with  its  wasteful  con- 
densation, to  perceive  and  appreciate  the  advantages 
of  the  former  method.  With  electric  motors,  the  gen- 
erating station  (as  compared  with  the  boiler  plant) 
can  be  located  at  practically  any  distance.  The  com- 
pressors can  be  placed  near  the  work  instead  of  piping 
air  at  a  loss. 

There  is  practically  no  modern  machine  about  a  mine 
or  mill  that  cannot  be  motor=driven ;  furthermore,  there 
is  hardly  a  machine  which  is  steam-driven  that  cannot  be 
adapted  readily  to  electric  drive  by  a  slight  change  in 
some  part  of  its  construction.  Hoists,  pumps,  compres- 
sors, blowers,  etc.,  in  connection  with  mines  and  crushers. 


226  Mexico's  Treasure-IIouse 

stamp-batteries,  tube-mills,  mechanical  agitators  and  ex- 
cavators, sand-distributors,  belt-conveyors,  slime-pumps, 
etc.,  etc.,  in  connection  'v\4th  mill  and  cyanide  work,  all 
lend  themselves  admirably  to  electric  motor-drive. 

Electric  haulage  for  carrying  ore  from  mine  to  mill, 
hauling  tailings  to  the  dump,  etc.,  are  all  come  into 
use  at  a  great  saving  o\'er  the  cost  of  hand  or  mule 
labor,  as  well  as  at  an  increase  in  output. 

One  of  the  advantages  derived  from  an  alternating 
current  system  is  the  great  convenience  of  readily  trans- 
forming the  voltage  to  whatever  is  desired,  in  case  ma- 
chines are  to  be  driven  at  some  distance  from  the  power 
plant,  and  thereby  save  in  the  copper  required  to  trans- 
mit the  power.  Probably,  the  principal  one  is  the  pos- 
sibility of  using  the  squirrel  cage  type  induction  motor. 
This  type  of  motor,  properly  constructed,  is  noted  for 
the  abuse  it  will  stand.  It  has  been  compared  to  a  grind- 
stone in  its  simplicity.  It  will  operate  continuously 
without  attention,  and  is  provided  with  self -oiling  bear- 
ings which  require  filling  only  infrequently.  These  mo- 
tors should  likewise  be  capable  of  withstanding  exces- 
sive overloads  and  of  being  brought  from  an  excessive 
overload  to  a  full  stop  for  a  short  time  without  sustain- 
ing injury.  They  have  no  brushes,  commutators,  slip- 
rings  or  other  moving  contacts,  and  are,  therefore, 
entirely  sparkless,  so  that  no  danger  can  result  from 
fire.  They  will  withstand  exposure  to  a  reasonable 
amount  of  dust,  dirt  and  moisture,  and  do  not  require 
skilled  labor  to  start  or  stop  them.  The  multipoint  auto- 
starters  employed  in  starting  them  reduce  the  main  line 
current  at  starting,  serving  to  relieve  the  system  greatly 
as  well  as  the  motor. 


Economy  in  Electricity  227 

The  extent  to  which  electricity  has  been  adopted  cor- 
responds very  closely  to  the  extent  to  which  its  possibili- 
ties, and  the  profits  following  its  introduction,  have  be- 
come generally  known.  A  parallel  instance  is  the  intro- 
duction of  electric  power  distribution  in  factories.  This 
progressed  but  very  slowly,  until  a  sufficient  number  of 
factories  had  been  equipped  to  make  the  superior  merits 
of  electric  power  everywhere  manifest.  No  one  now 
hesitates  to  equip  a  new  factory  with  electric  apparatus, 
and  in  many  hundreds  of  old  factories  the  existing 
equipments  of  belts,  shafts,  pulleys,  and  other  devices 
are  being  ruthlessly  "scrapped"  to  make  room  for  elec- 
tric motors. 

The  advantages  of  electric  power  over  other  means  of 
transmission  are  even  more  decided  in  the  field  of  mining 
than  in  manufacturing  plants,  and  a  rapid  increase  in 
the  use  of  electrical  machinery  is  taking  place  in  all 
branches  of  the  mining  industry.  Electrical  lighting 
of  a  mine  and  mill  has  not  only  proved  a  great  conven- 
ience, but  increases  the  output  very  considerably  over 
the  obscure  method  by  candle  illumination. 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place  here  to  cite  an  example  of 
a  saving  over  steam  which  occurred  in  the  Western  Unit- 
ed States.  Steam  pumps  were  replaced  by  electric  in 
a  certain  mine  where  the  generating  plant,  motors,  etc., 
cost  $18,000  (£3,600),  resulting  in  an  annual  saving  of 
$6,000,  allowing  for  interest  on  investment  and  deprecia- 
tion of  the  plant.  In  another  mine  where  steam  hoisting 
was  superseded  by  electricity,  the  hoists  elevated  the 
cage  at  1,250  feet  per  minute,  raising  500  tons  daily 
from  a  2,500-foot  level  by  double-deck  cages,  carrying 
8,600  pounds  of  ore.     Up  to  the  time  that  electricity 


228  Mexico's  Treasure-House 


was  adopted,  the  cost  of  motive  power  was  never  less 
than  $20  (£4)  per  horse-power  per  month,  which  after- 
wards costs  $7  (£l/8)  per  horse-power  per  month. 

With  steam  it  has  formerly  been  necessary  to  drive 
long  stamp-batter)^  shafts  with  mills  of  100  stamps  or 
more.  In  Guanajuato,  the  Peregrina  Mining  and  Mill- 
ing Co.,  the  San  Prospero  Mines  Co.,  and  the  Guana- 
juato Amalgamated  Gold  Mines  Co.,  which  are  now 
almost  ready  to  start  new  mills,  drive  units  of  20  stamps 
each  by  a  50  horse-power  motor,  thereby  saving  the  long 
shafting  losses  and  at  the  same  time  rendering  it  possible 
to  shut  down  any  one  part  of  the  stamps  at  any  time. 

In  the  handling  of  large  quantities  of  comparatively 
low-grade  ore  these  economies  and  improvements  must 
not  be  lost  sight  of;  nor  have  the  mining  interests  in 
Guanajuato  been  guilty  of  this,  as  is  clearly  evidenced 
by  the  fact  that  the  Westinghouse  Electric  and  Manu- 
facturing Co.  of  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  U.  S.  A.,  have  equipped 
throughout  with  modern  electrical  machinery  the  more 
modern  mines  and  mills  which  are  now  about  to  operate. 


MINING  DISTRICT  or  GUANAJUATO,  MEXICO 
THE   GUANAJUATO    DEVELOPMENT    CO. 


c 


Chapter  XVI. 


Some  Guanajuato  Men  who  Have  Helped  to  Restore  the  District 
to  Prosperity. — The  Governor  of  Guanajuato. — The  Firm  of 
McElhiney  &  Bryant. — The  Holdings  Which  They  Control. — 
Mr.  Geo.  W.  McElhiney.— Mr.  George  W.  Bryant. — Mr.  Frank 
G.  Peck. — Mr.  A.  B.  Carpenter. — Mr.  F.  J.  Hobson. — Mr. 
Percy  H.  Ramsden. — Mr.  John  C.  Brennon. — Mr.  Theodore 
Dwight. — Captain  W.  Murdoch  Wiley. — Mr.  C.  W.  Van  Law. 
— Mr.  Dwight  Furness. — Mr.  M.  E.  MacDonald. — Mr.  Ber- 
nard MacDonald. — Mr.  E.  P.  Ryan. — Mr.  Lawrence  P.  Adams. 
— Mr.  Norman  Rowe. 

SENOR  Lie.  D.  Joaquin  Obregon  Gonzalez,  the 
Governor  of  the  State  of  Guanajuato,  was  born 
in  November,  1843,  and  is  therefore  63  years 
of  age.  He  studied  for  the  law,  and  in  1864  received 
the  title  of  "abogado"  (advocate).  Entering  politics 
as  a  profession,  Senor  Obregon  was  elected  Deputy 
to  the  Congress  of  the  Union  in  1871,  and  continued 
to  sit  as  a  member  of  that  body  until  its  termination 
six  years  later,  namely,  1877.  President  Lerdo  de 
Tejada  appointed  Senor  Obregon  a  Judge  in  1876. 
He  is  and  has  been  for  many  years  a  member  of  a 
number  of  learned  and  scientific  societies,  and  he  was 
duly  elected  to  his  present  position  as  Governor  of  the 
State  of  Guanajuato  in  the  year  1893.  His  Ex- 
cellency is  a  thoroughly  genial  and  capable  man,  ex- 
tremely popular  alike  with  the  people  and  the  com- 
mercial classes.  At  all  times  of  public  misfortune  he  has 
demonstrated  his  great  sympathy  for  and  active  interest 
in  the  poorer  people,  while  no  popular  undertaking  ever 

Page., 229 


230  Meocico*s  Treasure-House  ' 

lacks  his  patronage  and  co-operation.  Senor  Don  Joa- 
quin Obregon  Gonzalez  lives  in  modest  style,  having  the 
palace  for  his  official  residence  in  the  City  of  Guana- 
juato, and  a  charming  but  very  simple  house  for  the 
summer  months  in  the  residential  quarter  of  La  Presa. 

MESSRS.  McELHINEY  AND  BRYANT. 

These  gentlemen  have  been  interested  in  Guanajuato 
since  the  year  1895,  when,  as  employees  of  other  com- 
panies, they  con^^nced  themselves  that  Guanajuato  was 
a  camp  second  to  none,  and  that  it  merely  needed  prop- 
er methods  adapted  to  mining  and  milling  its  ores  to 
make  it  one  of  the  best  kno^\Ti  and  most  profitable  min- 
ing camps  in  the  world.  Mr.  ]\IcElhiney  was  connected 
from  the  beginning  with  the  building  of  the  plant  of 
the  Guanajuato  Power  &  Electric  Company,  associated 
with  iNIr.  Leonard  E.  Curtis  and  Mr.  Henry  Hine,  of 
Colorado  Springs.  This  is  one  of  the  most  modern  elec- 
trical transmission  plants  in  the  world,  built  for  the 
purpose  of  supplying  Guanajuato  with  cheap  electric 
power.  The  establishment  of  this  power  company  made 
it  possible  to  mine  cheaply  the  enormous  bodies  of  low- 
grade  ore  known  to  be  contained  in  the  old  mines  of  the 
camp,  and  at  the  same  time  encourage  prospective  work 
upon  virgin  ground,  where  it  was  practically  certain  that 
other  great  ore  bodies  existed. 

Mr.  McElhiney  and  his  partner,  ^Ir.  Brj^ant,  have 
been  interested  in  the  promotion  of  nearly  every  enter- 
prise that  is  working  in  Guanajuato  to-day,  and  have 
invested,  and  re-invested,  in  all  those  enterprises,  there- 
by showing  their  absolute  confidence  in  the  future  of  the 
camp.  At  present  they  are  officers  and  stockholders  in 
the  following  companies; 


Messrs.  McElhiney  and  Bryant  231 

The  Peregrina  Mining  and  Milling  Company, 

Guanajuato  Development  Company, 

The  Aparecida  Mines  Company, 

The  Victoria  Mines  Company, 

The  La  Luz  Mines  Company, 

The  Guanajuato  River  Gold  Mining  Co., 

The  San  Matias  Mining  &  Milling  Company, 

The  Guadalupe  Alining  and  Milling  Company, 

The  Securities  Corporation,  Ltd., 

The  Mexican  Securities  Company, 

The  Navidad  Mines  Company, 

The  Buenavista  Mines  Company, 
while  they  are  also  very  large  stockholders  in  the  fol- 
lowing : 

The  Guanajuato  Reduction  &  Mines  Company, 

The  Guanajuato  Power  and  Electric  Company, 
and  owners  of: 

The  Matilde  Mine, 

The  Lepanto  Mine, 

The  San  Jorge  Mine, 

The  Argentina  Mine, 

The  Regie  Mine, 
and  many  others.  These  gentlemen  are  constantly  on 
the  alert  to  assist  in  the  opening  up  and  developing  of 
good  mining  properties  in  Guanajuato.  They  have 
joined  the  Guanajuato  Development  Company  in  the 
opening  up  of  the  Pinguico  mine,  of  which  they  were 
former  owners,  and  in  the  Central  group  upon  which 
they  had  erected  a  mill  and  which  they  were  developing 
at  the  time  that  it  was  sold  to  the  Guanajuato  Develop- 
ment Company.  They  obtained  for  the  last  named  com- 
pany, under  bond  and  lease,  the  great  Cedro  property. 


232  Mexico's  Treasure-House 


From  Mr.  Dwight  Furness,  for  many  years  American 
Consul  at  Guanajuato,  Messrs.  McElhiney  and  Bryant 
purchased  the  Nayal  concentrating  and  amalgamating 
mill,  which  was  for  a  number  of  years  shut  down,  and 
have  now  changed  it  into  a  large  cyanide  plant,  where 
purchased  ores  are  treated  by  combined  amalgamation, 
concentration  and  cyanide  process. 

This  mill,  it  may  be  mentioned,  is  situated  seven  miles 
from  the  City  of  Guanajuato,  is  in  the  center  of  a  gold 
district,  and  so  much  ore  is  constantly  being  offered  that 
it  is  difficult  to  increase  the  mill  rapidly  enough  to  accept 
the  ore.  The  ore  being  very  easily  treated  by  the  cyanide 
process  and  the  mines  furnishing  it  in  the  immediate 
vicinity,  it  is  possible  to  offer  a  very  low  treatment 
charge,  thereby  stimulating  activity  in  the  immediate 
sm-rounding  district  among  small  owners  who  have  not 
the  financial  strength  to  build  their  own  mills. 

MR.  GEORGE  W.  McELHINEY. 

Mr.  George  W.  McElhiney  is  a  native  of  the  State 
of  Missouri,  United  States  of  America.  He  first  came 
to  Mexico  some  twelve  years  ago  to  enter  the  railroad- 
contracting  business.  His  attention  being  called  to  the 
rich  deposits  contained  in  the  Guanajuato  River,  his 
first  experience  in  Guanajuato  was  with  these  deposits. 
It  has  needed  years  of  experience  to  find  out  the  proper 
way  to  treat  these  enormous  tailings  deposits,  but  Mr. 
McElhiney's  patience  and  perseverance  will  probably 
see  realized,  in  another  year,  the  construction  of  an 
enormous  plant  which  should  produce  profits  of  one 
million  dollars  per  annum  from  this  project. 


Mr.  George  W,  Bryant  233 

Associated  with  American  capitalists  he  sought  a 
water  power  of  sufficient  capacity  to  supply  10,000 
horse-power  to  Guanajuato,  within  a  radius  of  100  miles 
from  that  point,  and  was  successful  in  procuring  the 
Zamora  waterfall,  which  now  supplies  all  the  power 
used  in  Guanajuato  and  in  the  neighboring  cities. 

In  the  many  mine  promotions  instituted  by  Mr.  Geo. 
W.  Bryant  and  himself,  his  part  was  to  raise  the  money ; 
and  in  no  case  has  he  ever  failed,  as  is  evidenced  by  some 
eight  million  dollars  (American  money)  being  brought 
into  Guanajuato  through  his  efforts.  Absolutely  im- 
known  in  the  financial  centers  of  the  United  States  when 
he  commenced  this  work,  his  success  evidences  the  im- 
pression which  his  sincerity  and  perseverance  have  made 
among  investors. 

Mr.  McElhiney  is  now  President  of  The  Guanajuato 
Development  Co.  of  40  Wall  Street,  New  York  City; 
Vice-President  of  The  Securities  Corporation,  Ltd., 
at  the  same  address ;  Treasurer  of  the  Peregrina  Mining 
and  Milling  Company,  also  at  the  same  address;  and  a 
director  of  many  other  mining  and  milling  companies 
in  Guanajuato.  Guanajuato  owes  much  to  the  tireless 
energy  of  this  still  young  man,  without  whose  work  in 
raising  capital  it  would  have  been  absolutely  impossible 
to  carry  out  the  many  projects  which  are  now  attaining 
great  success  in  the  camp. 

MR.  GEORGE  W.  BRYANT. 

Mr.  George  W.  Bryant,  the  General  Manager,  is  a 
thoroughly  practical  mining  man,  with  a  wide  and  varied 
experience  in  the  Guanajuato  Camp,  where  he  has  been 
a  resident  for  over  12  years.    Mr.  Bryant  has  filled,  and 


234  Meccico's  Treasure-House 

filled  with  distinction  to  himself  and  even'-  satisfaction  to 
his  colleagues,  ahnost  every  kind  of  position  available 
in  over  twenty  different  mining  properties  of  this 
district.  As  a  consequence,  he  acts  as  General  Man- 
ager for,  and  holds  the  full  power  of  attorney  giving 
him  absolute  charge  of  their  business  and  property,  from 
some  twenty  corporations  and  individuals,  representing 
nearly  $20,000,000  of  capital.  He  commenced  his  ex- 
periences in  jNIexico  as  an  accountant  and  business  man- 
ager of  properties  which  were  owned  by  the  United 
Mexican  Mines  Association,  Limited. 

For  some  years  ]Mr.  Bryant  remained  as  Resident 
Manager  of  this  company,  after  which  he  became  the 
General  INIanager  of  the  Victoria  Mines  Co.,  and  later 
on  he  had  charge  of  the  San  Prospero  ]Mines,  the  Refu- 
gio ]Mines,  the  Aparecida  INIines,  the  Central  group  and 
many  other  equally  important  and  successful  properties 
in  the  Guanajuato  Camp. 

It  is  not  only  in  this  district,  nor,  indeed,  in  Mexico 
generally,  that  JNIr.  Bryant  is  known.  As  a  clever  and 
dependable  mine-manager  and  expert,  his  opinions  are 
sought  and  his  judgments  are  quoted  largely  in  the  Unit- 
ed States  of  America,  while  in  Great  Britain  his  assist- 
ance and  ripe  experience  would,  I  feel  assured,  prove 
of  considerable  value  to  all  who  may  be  desirous  of 
knowing  something  about  the  Guanajuato  Camp  from 
a  man  who  is  absolutely  competent  and  thoroughly  re- 
liable. In  Guanajuato  there  is  no  one  who  is  more 
highly  esteemed  nor  more  genuinelj^  popular  than  Mr. 
George  W.  Bryant,  whose  reputation  as  a  distinguished 
and  exceptionally  capable  mining-man  is  equalled  by  his 
personal  popularity  as  an  employer,  born  of  a  great 


Mr.  Frank  G.  Peck  235 

generosity  of  heart,  justice  to  others,  a  liberality  in  his 
dealings  with  his  fellow-workers  and  excellence  as  a 
citizen. 

MR.  FRANK  G.  PECK. 

Mr.  Frank  G.  Peck  is  a  very  well-known  miner  of 
the  State  of  Colorado,  and  more  especially  of  Cripple 
Creek  in  that  State,  where  he  has  been  a  resident  as 
miner  and  operator  for  many  years,  also  as  large 
stockholder  in  and  Secretary  of  the  famous  Portland 
Gold  Mining  Company,  which  pays  $1,000,000  (£200,- 
000)  dividends  annually.  Mr.  Peck,  who  is  very  favor- 
ably known  to  the  mining  public,  is  interested  in  many 
other  large  mining  properties  of  Cripple  Creek  as  well 
as  of  Colorado  and  the  Western  United  States  gen- 
erally. He  is  a  Director  of  the  First  National  Bank  of 
Colorado  Springs,  considered  to  be  one  of  the  strongest 
financial  institutions  west  of  the  Mississippi  River,  and 
also  of  the  Colorado  Title  and  Trust  Company,  of  Colo- 
rado Springs,  besides  being  considerably  interested  in 
many  other  local  institutions.  As  Secretary  and  member 
of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Portland  Gold  Min- 
ing Company,  Mr.  Peck  is  in  constant  and  direct  touch 
with  the  operation  of  that  mine  and  of  its  large  and  suc- 
cessful mill  at  Colorado  City.  In  the  year  1900,  Mr. 
Peck  first  became  interested  in  Guanajuato,  and  from 
his  first  visit  to  the  camp  he  felt  perfectly  convinced  that 
it  had  a  great  future,  only  needing  capital  and  proper 
mining  and  milling  methods  to  make  it  one  of  the 
famous  camps  of  the  world  of  the  future,  as  it  had 
made  itself  in  the  past.  Mr.  Peck  verified  his  sentiments 
by  assisting  in  the  organization  of  the  Victoria  Mines 


236  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

Company,  of  which  he  is  President.  He  has  constantly 
worked  his  San  Prospero  Klines,  and  is  now  building 
the  40-stamp  mill  known  by  the  name  of  "San  ^Matias," 
described  upon  a  preceding  page.  He  is  President  of 
and  a  stockholder  in  the  Aparecida  ^Nlines  Company; 
President  of  the  Peregrina  ^Mining  and  iMilling  Com- 
pany; Treasurer  and  Director  of  the  Guanajuato  De- 
velopment Company;  Treasurer  and  Director  of  The 
Securities  Corporation,  Ltd.;  Vice-President  and  Di- 
rector of  the  Guanajuato  River  Gold  ^Mining  Company, 
and  a  very  large  stockholder  in  the  Guanajuato  Reduc- 
tion and  Mines  Company  and  in  the  Guanajuato  Power 
and  Electric  Company.  Apparently  INIr.  Peck  must  have 
found  his  investments  in  Guanajuato  highly  profitable. 
Where  so  shrewd  and  cautious  a  man  as  ^Ir.  Pecks  leads, 
even  the  most  timid  investor  may  safely  follow ;  and  his 
large  holdings  in  the  Guanajuato  district  may  be  ac- 
cepted as  an  undoubted  testimony  to  its  value,  otherwise 
he  would  scarcely  have  continued  to  acquire  them. 

MR.  A.  B.  CARPENTER. 

Mr.  A.  B.  Carpenter,  who  occupies  the  respon- 
sible position  of  Consulting  Engineer,  in  conjunction 
with  ]Mr.  Brennon,  to  the  Peregrina  mine  and  group  of 
properties  associated  with  the  Guanajuato  Development 
Company,  is  a  comparatively  young  man,  but  with 
exceptional  ability  and  experience.  For  several  years 
past  he  has  been  examining  and  reporting  upon  Mexican 
mines,  and  is  consequently  thoroughly  familiar  with  the 
mining  conditions  and  most  of  the  mining  camps  of 
Mexico.  Mr.  Carpenter  is  an  American,  having  gradu- 
ated at  the  Beloit  College  of  Wisconsin  some  thirteen 


His  Excellexcy  SkSsok  Lk.    I).  .Ioaqtix   Obkkciox  Gonzalez. 

Governor  of  the  State  of  (xuanajuato  since  1893. 

[See  pajre  -237. 


ate  +9 


Mr.  Francis  J.  Hobson  237 

years  ago,  after  taking  his  degrees  of  Sc.  B.  &  E.  M. 
at  the  famous  Michigan  College  of  Mines  at  Houghton, 
Michigan.  He  commenced  his  experiences  at  the  Cripple 
Creek  and  Victor  gold  fields,  in  Colorado.  Coming  to 
JMexico,  Mr.  Carpenter  speedily  found  his  field  of  occu- 
pation, becoming  identified  with  the  Mexican  Gold  & 
Silver  Recovery  Company,  Limited,  which  had  and  has 
extensive  interests  in  this  Republic.  His  reports  are 
now  accepted  generally  throughout  the  country  as  au- 
thoritive  and  absolutely  reliable,  and  they  carry  great 
weight  with  both  practical  miners  and  shareholders  in 
the  Republic,  as  well  as  those  in  the  United  States  of 
America  and  abroad. 

MR.  FRANCIS  J.  HOBSON. 

Mr.  F.  J.  Hobson,  E.  M.,  is  a  mining  engineer  of  rec- 
ognized position,  and  his  reports  are  sought  after  by  all 
who  would  ascertain  authoritatively  the  value  of  mines 
in  the  Guanajuato  and  Durango  districts.  Mr.  Hobson 
was  a  pupil  at  the  Missouri  State  University,  and  subse- 
quently at  the  Cornell  University,  at  both  of  which  he 
distinguished  himself.  He  has  been  practising  as  a  min- 
ing engineer  since  1890,  having  successively  passed 
through  the  different  positions  of  surveyor,  mill-man, 
mine-foreman,  assayer,  and  manager  to  the  executive 
positions  in  connection  with  active  mining  operations. 
In  1900,  Mr. Hobson  joined  the  MacArthur-Forrest  Cy- 
anide Company  as  chief  chemist,  still  occupying  that 
responsible  position,  while  he  has  also  superintended 
the  erection  and  operation  of  a  considerable  number  of 
cyanide  plants  for  this  company  in  different  parts  of 
Mexico.    As  Consulting  Metallurgist  to  the  Peregrina 


238  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

JNIining  and  Milling  Company,  the  Guanajuato  Devel- 
opment Comj^any  and  the  Guanajuato  Reduction  and 
ISIines  Company,  as  well  as  to  other  large  companies  in 
IVIexico  and  the  United  States  of  America,  Mr.  Hobson 
has  been  of  great  value,  and  the  successful  treatment  of 
the  company's  ores  speaks  well  for  his  ability  and  the 
value  of  his  services.  It  is  a  great  question  whether  the 
metallurgical  department  of  this  or  of  any  other  mine 
could  be  in  more  competent  hands. 

MR.  PERCY  H.  RAMSDEN. 

Mr.  Percy  H.  Ramsden  is  an  Englishman  and  an 
admirable  representative  of  his  race  in  appearance, 
character  and  ability.  At  present  in  his  forty-eighth 
year,  Mr.  Ramsden  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  shrewdest 
and  most  reliable  examiners  of  mining  properties  in 
]\Iexico.  Born  in  London  and  educated  at  Chigwell,  he 
came  out  to  America  about  twenty-seven  years  ago, 
and  was  there  connected  with  a  number  of  prominent 
mines  in  the  United  States  before  coming  down  to  ^lex- 
ico.  After  spending  about  18  months  in  the  mining 
district  of  Chihuahua,  jNIr.  Ramsden  came  on  to  Guana- 
juato, where  he  has  since  remained.  Every  property 
which  Messrs.  McElhiney  and  Bryant  have  since  ac- 
quired either  wholly  or  in  part  has  been  previously  ex- 
amined by  INIr.  Ramsden  on  their  behalf,  and  it  is  a  note- 
worthy fact  that  in  all  instances  where  fuller  examina- 
tions by  the  most  experienced  mining  engineers  has  taken 
place,  Mr.  Ramsden's  opinions  and  findings  have  been 
substantially  endorsed.  His  intimate  knowledge  of  the 
entire  district  and  his  careful  methods  of  procedure 
render  his  services  especially  valuable  to  his  company 


Mr.  John  C.  Brennon  239 


and  his  associates.  Combined  with  a  keen  eye  for  oppor- 
tunities and  a  high  sense  of  his  responsibihty,  Mr.  Percy 
H.  Ramsden  possesses  an  attractive  personahty  and  as 
a  consequence  wields  much  influence. 

MR.  JOHN  C.  BRENNON. 

Mr.  John  Clark  Brennon,  who  is  connected  with 
the  Guanajuato  Development  Company,  was  born  in 
Washington,  and  is  about  34  years  of  age.  Educated 
at  Georgetown  University,  he  went  to  Michigan  College 
where  he  remained  for  three  and  a  half  years.  Thence 
Mr.  Brennon  went  to  Sonora,  Mexico,  and  here  as  an 
employee  of  the  British  company,  the  Grand  Central 
Mining  Company,  Limited,  he  saw  a  good  deal  of  active 
employment.  His  position  was  that  of  Assistant  En- 
gineer, and  after  remaining  in  this  capacity  for  three 
years  Mr.  Brennon  travelled  extensively  through  the 
States  of  Chihuahua,  Sinoloa  and  again  through  Sonora. 
this  time  as  a  mining  engineer.  Subsequently,  becoming 
interested  with  others  in  a  small  but  promising  mining 
property,  known  as  the  Ajuchitlan  Mining  and  Milling 
Company,  he  spent  four  years  in  the  capacity  of  Man- 
ager. His  seven  years'  varied  experience  in  Mexican 
mining  has  stood  Mr.  Brennon  in  excellent  stead,  since 
he  is  now  a  partner  with  Mr.  A.  B.  Carpenter,  the  min- 
ing engineer  already  referred  to  above,  in  conjunction 
with  whom  he  occupies  the  responsible  and  important 
position  of  Consulting  Engineer  to  the  Guanajuato  De- 
velopment Company. 

MR.  THEODORE  DWIGHT. 

Mr.  Theodore  Dwight,  who  is  the  recently  elected 
President  of  the  Mineral  Development  Company,  al- 


240  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

though   a   comparatively   young   man,    being   on   the 
sunny  side  of  40,  has  seen  a  very  considerable  experi- 
ence as  an  engineer,  both  electrical  and  mining.     Born 
in  1868,  Mr.  D wight  received  a  thorough  education  in 
the  United  States,  and  in  1884,  after  five  and  a  half 
years  spent  in  Europe,  became  interested  in  gas-lighting. 
He  soon  afterwards  connected  himself  with  the  Institute 
of  jNIining  Engineers,  and  in  the  Autumn  of  1890  he  en- 
tered the  workshops  of  the  Thomson-Houston  Electric 
Company,  probably  one  of  the  finest  training  and  finish- 
ing schools  for  electrical  engineers  in  the  world.     In 
less   than   two   years   he   became   an   assistant    to   the 
First  Vice-President  and  General  Manager.    It  is  cer- 
tainly a  tribute  to  Mr.  Dwight's  abihty  and  sense  of  re- 
sponsibility that  this  important  work  was  offered  him 
after  so  comparatively  slight  an  experience  in  the  com- 
pany's employ ;    and  it  is  still  more  remarkable,  perhaps, 
that  upon  quitting  that  concern's  ofiice  he  was  offered 
and    accepted    a    precisely    similar    position   with    the 
equally   important   New   York   concern,   the   General 
Electric  Company.    In  1894  Mr.  Dwight  was  appointed 
Assistant  Secretary  to  the  American  Institute  of  Min- 
ing  Engineers,   and   resigned   from   that   position   in 
order  to  assume  the  presidency  and  management  of 
the  JNIineral  Development  Company.     Mr.  Dwight  has 
been  elected  Councillor  and  Director  of  the  American 
Institute  of  ^Mining  Engineers,  and  is  a  Trustee  of 
the  United  Engineering  Society  formed  to  administer 
Mr.  Andrew  Carnegie's  gift  of  $1,500,000  (£300,000) 
to  the  engineering  profession  of  America.    Mr.  Dwight, 
who  is  a  bachelor,  is  a  very  able  administrator  and  a 
highly  gifted  conversationahst. 


A  Man  of  Many  Attainments  241 

CAPTAIN  W.  MURDOCH  WILEY. 

Captain  W.  Murdoch  Wiley,  of  the  Mineral  De- 
velopment Company  of  Guanajuato,  was  born  in  Sal- 
isbury, North  Carolina,  and  is  of  Scotch-Irish  and 
French-Huguenot  extraction.  His  first  important  ex- 
perience was  in  connection  with  the  1877  North  Carolina 
Geological  Survey,  and  during  the  period  between  1877 
and  1884  he  was  principally  at  sea  in  various  capacities, 
including  that  of  the  command  of  British  and  Danish 
vessels.  From  1884  to  1885  he  was  at  Trieste,  Austria, 
in  command  of  a  Danish  steam  yacht,  the  "Adria,"  be- 
longing to  the  Danish  Minister  at  the  Court  of  Vienna. 
From  1885  to  1886  he  was  in  the  U.  S.  Consular  service 
in  the  South  of  France,  while  in  1887  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  "Figaro"  expedition  into  the  Sahara  Desert 
for  the  purpose  of  determining  the  feasibility  of  in- 
undating the  Sahara  and  converting  it  into  a  navigable 
inland  sea. 

From  1888  to  1889,  Captain  Wiley  was  interested  in 
a  brokerage  and  commission  business  in  London,  and 
from  1889  to  1891  he  was  acting  as  the  Engineer  of 
Maintenance  of  Way  on  the  Southern  Railway,  sta- 
tioned at  Asheville,  N.  C.  He  resigned  this  position  to 
become  the  Managing  Director  of  the  International 
Trades  Exhibition,  Royal  Agricultural  Hall,  London, 
and  acted  as  the  Special  Correspondent  of  several  Eng- 
lish and  American  newspapers.  In  1898,  Captain 
Wiley  took  part  in  the  Spanish- American  War,  after 
which,  in  1889  to  1903,  he  took  charge  of  the  Standard 
Oil  mining  operations,  in  the  Appalachian  Belt.  From 
1904  to  1906  he  acted  as  the  President  of  the  Mineral 


242  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

Development  Co.,  President  of  the  Southern  Develop- 
ment Co.,  Director  of  the  Davis  &  Wiley  Bank,  and 
President  and  Director  of  various  other  American  and 
Mexican  Mining  and  Industrial  companies.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  American  Institute  of  JMining  En- 
gineers, of  the  Engineers'  Club  of  New  York,  the 
Southern  Society  of  New  York,  the  North  Carolina  So- 
ciety of  New  York,  the  Fulton  Club  of  New  York,  the 
American  Club  of  Mexico  City,  the  Education-Rossers 
Academy  of  Navigation,  London,  and  the  Johns  Hop- 
kins University,  Baltimore,  U.  S.  A. 

MR.  C.  W.  VAN  LAW. 

As  manager  of  the  highly  important  group  of  mines 
belonging  to  the  Guanajuato  Reduction  and  Mines 
Company,  Mr.  C.  W.  Van  Law  occupies  one  of  the 
most  onerous  and  responsible  positions  in  the  camp.  He 
is  comparatively  a  young  man;  but,  hke  most  Ameri- 
can mine  managers  to  be  found  in  Mexico  to-day,  he 
evinces  all  the  brightness,  discernment  and  shrewdness 
of  his  remarkable  nation. 

Mr.  C.  W.  Van  Law  was  born  in  1874,  and  in  1882 
he  moved  from  Marietta,  Ohio,  his  native  town,  to  Col- 
orado, which  has  been  the  cradle  of  so  man}'^  clever  and 
successful  mining  men.  He  was  prepared  for  college 
in  the  excellent  Chicago  INIanual  Training  School, 
where  the  rising  generation  of  Americans  are  carefully 
taught  to  use  their  hands  as  well  as  their  eyes  and  their 
brains.  From  this  school  Mr.  Van  Law  went  to  the 
Cornell  University,  and  entering  the  mechanical  en- 
gineering course  he  graduated  in  1896,  with  special 
honors  for  original  research.    Immediately  upon  grad- 


Mr.  D  wight  Furness  243 

uation,  he  went  to  the  Tomboy  mine,  Telluride,  Colo., 
there  acting  as  assistant  to  the  superintendent  of  mills. 

In  1898  young  Van  Law  became  successively  Master 
Mechanic  and  Mill  Superintendent  of  the  Columbia 
Menona  Company,  in  the  same  district.  Then  he  spent 
six  months  in  the  Yaqui  country,  of  the  Sonora  State  of 
Mexico,  for  the  Sonora  Development  Company,  being 
in  charge  of  their  ten  mining  enterprises.  In  1889  he 
returned  to  Georgetown,  Colorado,  as  manager  of  a 
silver-lead  proposition  located  there. 

In  the  same  year,  towards  the  autumn,  Mr.  Van  Law 
was  engaged  by  the  intending  purchasers  of  the 
Smuggler  Union  Property,  in  Telluride,  Colorado,  to 
make  a  series  of  metallurgical  tests  upon  the  existing 
plant,  which  was  brought  to  a  500-tons-a-day  capacity 
as  the  results  of  these  same  experiments.  A  consider- 
able plant  was  also  built  for  the  same  proprietors  at 
Silverton,  and  a  large  hydro-electric  installation  was 
erected  in  Telluride. 

In  1902  Mr.  Van  Law  became  associated  with  the 
famous  machinery  manufacturing  firm — the  Allis-Chal- 
mers  Company  at  Chicago,  and  in  August,  1903,  he  was 
appointed  as  the  Chief  Engineer  of  their  Mining  De- 
partment, a  position  which  he  occupied  until  he  was  en- 
gaged to  make  an  examination  of  the  various  properties 
of  the  Guanajuato  Reduction  and  Mines  Company, 
and  ended  by  becoming  their  Resident  Manager. 

MR.  DWIGHT  FURNESS. 

Mr.  D wight  Furness  arrived  in  Guanajuato  in  Oc- 
tober, 1887,  to  take  charge  of  the  mines  known  as  Calera 
and  Cebada,  and  which  now  bear  the  name  of  Negocia- 


244  MclVwo's  Treasure-House 

cion  ]Minera  "La  Esperanza."  These  properties  were 
held  by  a  St.  Louis  company  called  the  Santana  Mining 
Co.  Owing  to  questions  arising  as  to  the  form  of  lease, 
and  also  from  the  fact  that  the  properties  had  been  mis- 
represented, the  business  was  dropped  early  in  the  fol- 
lowing year.  Mr.  Furness  then  began  buying  ores  for 
the  Omaha  &  Grant  smelter,  through  their  representa- 
tive, Wm.  ]Mathews,  and  he  associated  with  himself  in 
this  business  the  then  United  States  Consular  Agent  at 
Guanajuato,  Mr.  Edward  WiUiams.  Then  the  firm  be- 
came AVilliams  &  Furness. 

The  new  firm  lost  money,  however,  the  first  six 
months,  although  they  were  doing  a  business  of  $50,000 
per  month.  Mr.  Williams  shortly  afterwards  left  the 
firm  and  the  business  was  continued  under  the  name  of 
"Furness  &  Higby,"  until  the  end  of  the  year  1889.  The 
concern  was  now  very  successful. 

The  action  of  the  Sherman  law  and  the  fluctuating 
price  of  silver  caused  suspension  of  ore-buying  tempo- 
rarily, but  early  in  1891  IMr.  D wight  Furness  resumed 
business  in  general  merchandise,  under  the  name  of 
"Dwight  Furness  &  Co."  He  shipped  ores  to  Omaha 
and  also  to  the  Pueblo  smelter,  which  was  owned  by  the 
Messrs.  Guggenheim.  Up  to  the  time  of  ore-buying  by 
iNIr.  Furness,  no  ore  had  been  shipped  from  Guanajuato 
to  the  United  States,  but  ores,  assaying  over  300  ounces 
per  ton,  had  been  exported  to  Europe,  the  costs  of 
freight  and  treatment  amounting  to  over  $50  gold 
(£l0)  per  ton.  The  cost  of  freight  to  Omaha  was 
$19  gold  (£3/16)  per  ton  and  the  treatment  charge 
amounted    to    $16    (£3/4)    gold    per    ton,    the    total 


The  Smelting  Situation  24!5 

charge  to  the  miner  therefore  being  from  $38  to  $40 
(£7/15  to  £8)  per  ton  of  ore. 

In  1891  the  Messrs.  Guggenheim  estabhshed  the 
smelter  at  Monterey,  and  since  that  time  they  have  prac- 
tically controlled  the  smelting  situation  in  Mexico,  and 
treatment  charges  have  been  steadily  reduced  until  they 
now  average  about  $25  to  $30  Mex.  (£2/10  to  £3) 
per  ton  of  ore.  In  1892  Mr.  Furness  organized  the 
concern  into  a  stock  company  called  the  Furness  & 
Lewis  Co.,  and  a  very  extensive  business  was  done  until 
1896,  when  the  concern  was  sold  out  to  Lewis,  Mr.  Fur- 
ness reserving  the  State  of  Guanajuato  and  continuing 
business  under  the  name  of  D wight  Furness  &  Co.,  and 
later  under  the  corporate  name  of  "The  D wight  Fur- 
ness Co."  The  Furness  &  Lewis  Co.  did  a  very  exten- 
sive business,  amounting  to  about  $2,000,000  per  year, 
scattered  through  twelve  agencies,  distributed  in  the 
principal  mining  centers  of  the  Republic  from  Chihua- 
hua to  Oaxaca. 

Mr.  Furness  has  always  had  control  of  these  different 
companies,  and  he  managed  the  business.  The  head 
company  are  still  doing  business  of  a  little  over  one 
hundred  thousand  pesos  per  month,  or  $1,200,000.00  per 
year.  In  connection  with  ore-buying  and  merchandising, 
the  company  have  done  considerable  mining,  and  stiU 
own  a  great  deal  of  valuable  mining  ground  in  the 
States  of  Guanajuato  and  Jalisco.  The  D wight  Fur- 
ness Company  has  also  control  of  the  San  Gregorio  R. 
R.,  some  30  kilometers  long  from  Marfil  to  the  San 
Gregorio  mine,  and  is  now  arranging  to  continue  the 
same  from  Marfil  to  Guanajuato  and  on  to  Irapuato, 
and  from  there  to  a  connection  with  the  Mexican  Na- 


246  Meanco's  Treasure-House 


tional  at  Salamanca,  thus  giving  Guanajuato  another 
trunk  line  railroad  connection.  Mr.  Furness  has  been 
Consular  Agent  of  the  United  States  at  Guanajuato 
since  November,  1889,  and  his  appointment  bears  the 
signature  of  James  G.  Blaine,  late  Secretary  of  State. 
He  has  been  connected  with  most  of  the  leading  enter- 
prises in  Guanajuato,  and  is  a  Director  of  the  bank,  etc. 
Mr.  Furness  is  everybody's  friend,  and  probably  does 
not  possess  an  enemy  in  the  world. 

MR.  E.  P.  RYAN. 

Mr.  Edwin  P.  Ryan,  JNIanager  of  the  Peregrina 
Mine,  was  educated  at  the  Armour  Institute  of  Tech- 
nologj^  at  Chicago,  Illinois.  He  afterwards  went  to  the 
Michigan  College  of  JNIines,  which  has  turned  out  a 
great  number  of  brilliant  3'oung  engineers  now  occupy- 
ing prominent  positions  in  all  parts  of  the  world.  ]Mr. 
Ryan  graduated  four  years  later  (1900)  with  the  de- 
grees of  Bachelor  of  Science  and  Engineer  of  JNIines. 
He  was  the  Mining  Engineer  of  the  Isle  Royale  Copper 
Company  from  1900-1901.  Subsequently  he  was  ap- 
pointed as  Chief  Engineer  and  afterwards  Assistant 
Manager  for  the  Mexican  Gold  and  Silver  Recovery 
Company,  Limited,  of  London,  of  the  Buena  Vista 
Mines  at  La  Yesca,  Territory  of  Tepic,  Mexico,  and 
served  there  from  1901-1903.  He  then  became  the  Con- 
sulting and  Examining  Engineer,  as  well  as  Chief  En- 
gineer of  Construction,  for  the  Kingston  Copper  Com- 
pany, at  Guadalajara,  Mexico,  staying  there  from  1903 
to  1905,  and  this  same  year  he  was  appointed  Mining 
Engineer  to  the  Securities  Corporation,  Limited,  of 
New  York  and  Guanajuato.     In  1905  Mr.  Ryan  was 


Mr,  Lawrence  P.  Adams  247 

appointed  General  Superintendent  of  the  Peregrina 
Mining  &  Milling  Co.  of  Guanajuato,  and  remains  in 
that  position  to-day.  His  wide  experience  embraces 
mining,  milling,  cyaniding  and  railroad  engineering  in 
all  its  branches,  gained  in  the  iron  and  copper  districts 
of  the  United  States  and  Mexico.  Mr.  Ryan  is  ex- 
tremely well-liked  by  all  who  know  him,  and  very  highly 
esteemed  by  the  company  fortunate  enough  to  have  se- 
cured his  services. 

MR.  LAWRENCE  P.  ADAMS. 

Mr.  Lawrence  P.  Adams,  Manager  of  the  Guana- 
juato Amalgamated  Gold  Mines  Co.,  was  born  in  New 
York  City,  July  26,  1873,  and  was  educated  at  Phillips* 
Exeter  Academy,  Exeter,  N.  H.,  and  at  Harvard  Uni- 
versity, Cambridge,  Mass.  He  first  came  to  Guana- 
juato January,  1901,  where  he  was  engaged  in  prospect- 
ing until  about  June,  1905,  becoming  thoroughly  fa- 
miliar during  that  time  with  the  mining  conditions  in 
and  about  Guanajuato.  In  the  above  mentioned  month 
he  closed  an  option  for  the  "Negociacion  de  La  Paz" 
group  of  mines,  which  includes  the  Jesus  Maria,  Villa- 
rino,  Providencia,  Sangre  de  Cristo,  and  Remedios,  and 
shortly  thereafter  he  succeeded  in  organizing  the  Gua- 
najuato Amalgamated  Gold  INIines  Co.  to  work  those 
properties.  Of  this  company  Mr.  Adams  became  the 
Resident  Manager.  The  subject  of  this  biography,  it 
may  be  said,  has  made  it  a  point  to  surround  himself 
with  the  most  able  men  in  the  various  hues  of  the  mining 
business  that  it  has  been  possible  to  secure,  and  it  is  very 
generally  conceded  that  the  engineering  and  technical 
force  at  the  mines  has  no  superior  in  Guanajuato.    One 


248  Mexico's  Treasure-House 


of  Mr.  Adams'  most  capable  and  accomplished  coad- 
jutors is  Mr.  V.  B.  SheiTod,  Constructing  and  Mining 
Engineer,  and  a  man  of  the  greatest  ability.  The  com- 
pany may  be  said  to  have  been  exceedingly  fortunate  in 
the  possession  of  two  such  able  officials  as  jMr.  Adams 
and  Mr.  Sherrod,  as  well  as  Mr.  E.  Harris,  the  Chief 
Miner  and  Superintendent  of  the  underground  work- 
ings, lately  with  the  El  Ore  Mining  and  Railway  Com- 
pany, Limited. 

MR.  NORMAN  ROWE. 

Mr.  Norman  Rowe,  Manager  of  the  Guanajuato 
Power  and  Electric  Co.,  graduated  from  Cornell  Uni- 
versity, 1903,  with  degree  M.  E.  with  special  reference 
to  work  done  in  electricity.  After  graduating,  he  spent 
five  years  with  the  Westinghouse  Electric  and  IManu- 
facturing  Co.,  most  of  that  time  being  passed  in 
the  testing  department.  Mr.  Rowe  eventually  left  the 
employ  of  the  Westinghouse  Co.  to  accept  the  position 
of  Electrical  Engineer  for  the  Compania  Industrial  de 
Orizaba,  INIexico,  for  the  construction  of  an  important 
electrical  transmission  plant  near  Orizaba.  After  fin- 
ishing the  work  at  Orizaba,  he  went  to  California  as  engi- 
neer of  the  San  Francisco  office  of  the  Westinghouse 
Electric  and  Manufacturing  Co.,  and  from  there  he 
came  back  to  Mexico  City  as  Chief  Engineer  of  the  San 
Ildefonso  Hj^draulic  and  Electrical  System.  During 
this  period  the  six  hydraulic  plants  were  finished  theie 
and  put  in  operation,  and  a  complete  underground  and 
overhead  system  was  installed  in  Mexico  City,  together 
with  an  auxiliary  steam  and  storage-battery  plant.  Mr. 
Rowe  subsequently  came  to  the  Guanajuato  Power  and 


Mr.  M.  E.  MacDonald  249 

Electric  Co.  at  the  time  that  the  construction  work  was 
commenced,  and  has  remained  with  them  ever  since.  In 
all  probability  Mr.  Rowe's  name  will  be  shortly  men- 
tioned with  distinction  in  connection  with  a  new  and 
recently-patented  insulator  which  has  been  invented  by 
him  and  extremely  well  received  by  experts  in  the  elec- 
tric world. 

MR.  M.  E.  MacDONALD. 

Mr.  M.  E.  MacDonald,  Manager  of  the  Guanajuato 
Consolidated  Mining  and  Milling  Company,  began 
his  mining  career  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  regions  of 
the  United  States  in  1883.  From  then  until  1893  he 
spent  his  time  in  the  various  practical  branches  of  min- 
ing, mastering,  as  he  went  along,  every  detail  of  the 
practical  work.  Beginning  with  1888,  he  occupied  the 
responsible  positions  of  foreman  and  mine  superin- 
tendent in  the  largely  producing  mines  of  Colorado, 
Idaho  and  Montana.  In  1898,  he  went  to  Zacatecas, 
Mexico,  to  accept  the  management  of  the  San  Cristobal 
Mining  Company  at  that  place,  and  in  the  following 
year  he  went  to  Guanajuato  to  take  the  position  he  now 
occupies  with  the  Guanajuato  Consolidated  Mining  & 
Milling  Company,  that  concern  having  been  just  organ- 
ized to  take  over  and  operate  the  Sirena  Mine.  At  this 
time  the  Sirena  Mine,  which  is  now  one  of  the  largest 
producing  mines  in  Guanajuato  District,  was  full  of 
water  to  the  tunnel  level,  and  work  on  it  had  been  sus- 
pended by  its  Mexican  owners,  because  it  could  no 
longer  be  worked  profitably  by  them. 

The  problems  involved  in  the  drainage  and  explora- 
tion of  this  mine  were  then  undertaken  and  mastered, 


250  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

and  a  pan-amalgamation  milling  plant,  operated  by- 
steam,  was  erected  on  it.  This  cost  of  operating  the 
mining  and  milling  plants  by  steam,  as  the  only  motor 
power  then  available  with  fuel  at  prohibitive  prices, 
coupled  with  a  low  percentage  of  extraction  in  the  mill 
of  the  values  in  the  ore,  left  httle  or  no  profit.  Hope 
was  kept  alive  by  prospect  of  cheap  electric  power  being 
brought  to  the  camp  and  by  the  large  bodies  of  low- 
grade  ore,  M'hich  were  being  developed  in  the  deep  levels 
of  the  mine.  On  the  advent  of  electric  power,  complete 
plants  of  electric  motors  for  mine  and  mill  were  in- 
stalled, and,  although  the  expenses  for  power  were  les- 
sened thereby,  this  was  more  than  offset  by  the  increas- 
ing baseness  of  the  new  ore-bodies  developed  in  the  deep 
levels.  Finally,  this  new  evil  was  overcome  by  the  aban- 
donment of  pan-amalgamation  and  the  substitution  of 
the  cyanide  process,  which  has  given  remarkably  satis- 
factory results  from  the  beginning.  The  manager,  very 
naturally,  feels  proud  of  this  outcome  of  his  struggle 
with  this  property,  since  the  mine  has  now  entered  the 
dividend-paying  Ust,  and  the  shareholders,  among  whom 
he  is  one  of  the  largest,  have  expressed  their  confidence 
in  his  judgment  by  electing  him  to  the  Board  of  Di- 
rectors. 

MR.  BERNARD  MacDONALD. 

Mr.  Bernard  MacDonald,  the  Consulting  Engineer 
of  the  Guanajuato  Consolidated  Mining  and  ^Milling 
Company,  began  his  mining  career  in  California,  in 
1874.  At  this  time,  practical  experience  was  the  only 
road  to  the  mining  profession.  All  lode  mines  were  then 
operated  under  the  direction  of  Cornish  mine  captains. 


Mr,  Bernard  MacDonald  251 

or  miners  of  other  nationalities  who  acquired  all  the 
mining  knowledge  they  possessed  by  practical  expe- 
rience, and  the  same  was  true  of  the  milling  operations. 
From  1874  till  1880,  Mr.  MacDonald  worked  in  the 
various  branches  of  practical  mine  work,  in  the  lode 
mines  of  Grass  Valley  and  other  mining  camps  in  Cali- 
fornia, and  in  the  large  mines  on  the  Comstock  lode,  and 
elsewhere  in  the  State  of  Nevada,  having,  previous  to 
this  experience  in  practical  mining  work,  completed  a 
course  in  civil  engineering,  as  well  as  the  practical  side 
of  mining  and  milling  operations.  In  the  year  1880  he 
went  to  Leadville,  Colo.,  to  take  the  position  of  Mine 
Superintendent  with  the  Little  Chief  Mining  Company. 
After  two  years  in  Leadville  he  engaged  as  Superin- 
tendent of  the  famous  Lake  Valley  Mines  of  New 
Mexico. 

After  spending  some  years  in  exploration  of  the  new 
mining  regions,  then  made  accessible  by  the  advent  of 
railroads  in  New  Mexico,  and  in  mining  on  his  own  ac- 
count, Mr.  MacDonald  engaged  as  manager  with  a 
company  which  had  undertaken  the  reopening  of  the 
famous  old  Santa  Ana  Mines  of  Sonora,  mentioned  in 
Ward's  "History  of  Mexico."  Afterwards  he  contin- 
ued mining  in  Montana,  Idaho  and  British  Columbia, 
being  occupied  as  Manager  or  Consulting  Engineer  for 
several  mining  companies.  In  1904  he  was  engaged  to 
go  to  Guanajuato  to  make  a  study  of  the  mines  of  the 
Guanajuato  Consolidated  Mining  and  Milling  Com- 
pany, and  the  metallurgical  problems  involved  in  the 
treatment  of  their  ores.  After  reporting  the  results  of 
this  study  he  was  enaged  as  Consulting  Engineer  to 
the  company.    The  cyanide  plant  was  designed  by  him 


252  Mexico's  Treasure-House 

and  erected  under  his  immediate  supervision.  The 
work  devolving  on  him  now,  by  reason  of  this  position 
with  the  company,  occupies  only  a  part  of  his  time,  the 
remainder  being  devoted  to  the  business  of  the  INIines 
Selection  Company  of  Mexico,  of  which  company  he  is 
President.  It  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  repeat  here  that 
the  recent  sale  of  the  Real  del  Monte  mines  at  Pachuca, 
which,  by  the  way,  are  perhaps  by  long  odds  the  largest 
aggregation  of  real  mines  in  the  Republic  of  ^Mexico, 
was  consummated  by  him,  at  the  price  and  terms  of  an 
option  obtained  from  the  President  of  the  company. 
The  ISIanager  and  the  Consulting  Engineer  of  the  Con- 
sohdated  JNIining  and  Milling  Company  are  brothers, 
and  were  born  near  Belfast,  Ireland,  of  Scotch-Irish 
parentage.  They  came  to  the  United  States  when  young 
men,  and  are  citizens  of  the  latter  country. 


Conclusion. 

THE  great  questions  which  investors  will  have  to 
satisfy  themselves  upon,  after  they  have  been 
convinced  that  the  ores  exist  in  large  quantities, 
are  how  much  does  it  cost  to  mine  and  treat  the  ores, 
what  are  the  total  management  expenses,  and  how  much 
net  profit  remains  thereafter?  These  questions  may  be 
briefly  replied  to  as  follows:  Even  for  deep  mining  on 
the  Mother  Lode  at  Guanajuato,  $4.50  (Mex.  Cy.), 
say  9/s.,  per  ton  of  ore  may  be  accepted  as  a  liberal 
allowance  for  mining  costs  (apart  from  milling)  under 
modern  mining  practice.  The  present  price  of  stamp- 
ing the  ore  through  a  forty-mesh  screen,  allowing  for 
all  supplies,  general  expenses,  etc.,  is  not  above  $1.75 
(Mex.  Cy.)  per  ton  of  ore,  including  the  cost  of  con- 
centrating the  pulp  upon  Wilfley  tables.  The  cost  of 
pan-amalgamation  of  the  tailings  has  hitherto  been  less 
than  $4  (Mex.  Cy.)  per  ton,  while  the  cost  of  cyanid- 
ing  will  be  under  $3  (Mex.  Cy.)  per  ton.  Therefore, 
a  cost  of  $4.50  for  mining  and  a  total  cost  of  $5  (Mex. 
Cy.  =  $2.50  U.  S.  Cy.)  per  ton  for  all  milling  opera- 
tions, may  be  accepted  as  a  liberal  estimate  of  cost  for 
future  mining  and  milling  operations  at  Guanajuato. 
A  total  recovery  of  90%  of  all  the  values  of  the  ores  is 
readily  obtainable  by  concentration  and  cyaniding. 

From  the  90  per  cent,  bullion  recovered,  there  must 
be  deducted  5  per  cent,  for  express  charges  and  Govern- 
ment taxes  on  bullion.    This  would  leave  about  85  per 

Page  253 


254  Mexico's  Treasure-House 


cent,  net  return  in  bullion  of  the  original  gold  and  silver 
contents  of  the  ore.  Consequently,  the  total  cost  for 
mining  and  milling  will  not  exceed  $9.50  (INIex.)  per 
ton,  even  in  deep  mining.  Ore  containing  as  low  values 
as  $12.50  Mexican  currency  ($6.25  U.  S.  Cy.  or  £l/5) 
in  silver  and  gold  per  metric  ton,  can  be  successfully 
mined  and  treated  at  Guanajuato.  Most  of  the  mines 
here  are  treating  much  richer  stuff  than  this,  however, 
but  it  is  satisfactory  to  know  that  with  the  enormous  re- 
serves of  comparatively  low-grade  ore  available,  the 
mills  of  Guanajuato  must  be  kept  busy  for  many  a  year 
to  come  and  give  the  camp  that  most  desirable  of  repu- 
tations— "permanency." 

Some  of  the  illustrations  which  I  give  showing  the 
old  and  wearisome  methods  of  working  the  Guanajuato 
mines  should  prove  of  interest  to  those  who  are  mainly 
concerned  in  the  economy  and  effectiveness  of  modern 
methods.  In  place  of  old  black  powder,  combined  with 
hand-driUing  as  a  means  of  breaking  the  rock  in  the 
mines,  we  have  to-day  the  most  powerful  explosives  and 
air-compressor  rock-drills.  Instead  of  the  horse-whims, 
sometimes  worked  by  as  many  as  sixteen  horses,  we  have 
the  modern  electric  hoist,  and  in  place  of  the  water- 
buckets,  hauled  up  by  the  slow  overhead  drums,  we 
find  powerful  pumps  doing  the  work  in  a  hundredth 
part  of  the  time  and  at  a  hundredth  part  of  the  cost. 

It  is  estimated  that  the  average  contents  of  the  ores 
found  in  the  ]\Iother  Vein  at  Guanajuato  are  about 
13I/2  grams  gold  to  each  1,000  grams  of  silver.  This 
means  that  of  the  combined  gold  and  silver  values  of  the 
Mother  Lode  ores,  before  the  year  1820,  the  value  of 
gold  represented  about  17  per  cent,  and  silver  83  per 


New  vs.  Old  Methods  255 

cent.  To-day  the  commercial  ratio  of  gold  and  silver 
values  has  increased  the  gold  values  in  Guanajuato  ores 
to  about  30  per  cent,  and  reduced  the  silver  to  70  per 
cent.  In  the  gold  belt  such  as  Peregrina  and  the  mines 
of  the  Guanajuato  Development  Company,  the  gold  is 
about  70  per  cent,  of  the  total  value  of  the  ore,  thus 
affording  a  marked  distinction  from  the  above  men- 
tioned mines.  The  mint  records  before  1820  show  an 
average  value  of  gold  bullion  of  3.8  per  cent,  of  the 
total  bullion  value,  or,  with  an  estimated  recovery  of 
87%  per  cent,  of  the  silver  values  in  the  patio  process, 
a  recovery  of  the  gold  values  of  the  ore  of  about  4^ 
per  cent.,  and  a  consequent  loss  of  about  12%  per  cent, 
of  the  17  per  cent,  gold  values  of  the  ore.  It  would, 
however,  be  unfair  to  charge  this  loss  of  75  per  cent, 
of  the  gold  values  entirely  to  the  patio  process.  No 
doubt  the  greater  part  of  the  loss  was  incurred  through 
this  process,  as  most  of  the  gold,  especially  in  the  ores 
containing  sulphurets  which  come  from  the  lower  levels 
of  the  mines,  was  lost,  being  carried  away  in  the  tailings, 
or  possibly  in  solution. 

When  the  cyanide  process  was  first  introduced  into 
the  Guanajuato  mines,  it  did  not  receive  a  very  hearty 
welcome.  The  first  mine  at  which  experiments  were 
tried  was  Cubo,  now  the  property  of  Mr.  Thomas  H. 
Leggett,  of  New  York,  and  others.  It  was  found  that 
while  the  consumption  of  cyanide  was  low,  the  extrac- 
tion was  low  also,  the  average  being  from  40  to  85  per 
cent,  of  the  silver  and  the  gold  in  the  ore,  the  time  for 
treatment  allowed  being  about  16  hours.  But  for  the 
intervention  and  strong  representation  of  some  promi- 
nent mining  engineers  who  were  interested  in  Guana- 


256  Mexico's  Treasure-House 


juato  properties  and  also  in  the  Mac  Arthur-Forrest 
process,  it  is  doubtful  whether  the  cyanide  process  of 
treatment  would  have  found  many  friends  in  Guana- 
juato at  all.    Further  tests  took  place  both  at  Cubo  and 
Sirena,  the  latter  now  being  the  property  of  the  very 
successful  Guanajuato  Consohdated  JNIining  and  Mill- 
ing Co.,  and  with  far  better  and  more  encouraging  re- 
sults.   Some  of  the  tests  recovered  as  much  as  92.5  and 
94.5  per  cent,  of  the  total  value  of  the  ore,  the  yield 
being  concentrate  and  buUion.     With  these  results  be- 
fore them,  then,  the  Guanajuato  Consohdated  Mining 
and  MiUing  Co.  installed  their  present  plant  with  a 
capacity  of  approximately  200  tons  per  diem,  and  of 
which  a  fuller  detailed  description  wall  be  found  in  the 
earlier  chapters  of  this  book. 

Tests  made  by  jNIr.  Francis  J.  Hobson,  Chief  Chem- 
ist of  the  Mac  Arthur-Forrest  Cyanide  Co.,  upon  some 
Valenciana  ores  resulted  in  further  plants  being  estab- 
lished, an  80-stamp  mill  at  the  Bustos  and  the  cya- 
nide plant  at  the  Hacienda  de  Flores  being  installed.  In 
1904,  the  Cubo  mine  also  installed  a  cyanide  plant,  and 
it  is  still  running  very  satisfactorily.    At  the  Peregrina 
mine  from  94  to  95  per  cent,  of  the  precious  metals 
have  been  extracted  by  means  of  the  cyanide  and  con- 
centration plant  since  1905,  and  another  100  stamps 
are  going  up  at  the  present  time  with  a  cyanide  annex. 
At  the  Central  mill  a  cyanide  plant  is  in  operation,  and 
another  is  now  completed  at  the  Nayal  mill.     At  the 
Hacienda   San  jNIatias,  belonging  to  ]Mr.   Frank  G. 
Peck,    of   the    Portland    Gold    Mining    Company    of 
Cripple  Creek,  Colorado,  who  is  President  of  the  Pere- 
grina Mining  and  Milling  Company  of  Guanajuato,  a 


Mac  Arthur-Forrest  Cyanide  Process  257 

cyanide  plant  is  fast  approaching  completion,  while  a 
Mexican  mine-owner  named  Sefior  Ibarbuengoitia  has 
converted  his  patio  process  to  cyanidation.  At  La  Luz, 
the  Guanajuato  Amalgamated  Gold  Mines  Company 
are  erecting  100  stamps  on  the  Jesus  Maria  Mine,  with  a 
cyanide  plant.  Taking  all  the  plants  collectively,  about 
700  tons  of  ore  are  being  cyanided  daily  at  Guanajuato, 
but  in  a  few  months'  time,  in  all  probability,  this  will 
have  increased  to  some  1,400  tons  per  daj^ 

So  pronounced  have  been  the  successes  achieved  by 
the  experiments  at  Guanajuato  upon  cyanidation  of 
silver  on  silicious  ores  that  the  process  is  removed  en- 
tirely from  the  region  of  doubt,  and  is  now  generally 
accepted  as  having  reached  that  of  a  certaint5^  It  was 
proved  that  while  the  employment  of  extremely  weak 
solutions  of  potassium  (or  sodium)  cyanide  was  advan- 
tageous to  the  reduction  of  gold  ores,  it  was  found  pre- 
judicial to  silver;  now,  however,  that  stronger  solu- 
tions and  more  time  are  being  employed,  very  diif  erent 
results  are  being  achieved.  It  is  said  that  experiments 
upon  a  large  scale  have  proved  that  even  a  vanner  con- 
centrate, containing  silver  sulphide  associated  with  py- 
rite,  is  amenable  to  profitable  treatment  by  cyanida- 
tion. 

What  threatened  at  one  time  to  become  a  long  and 
troublesome  case  of  litigation  between  the  Guanajuato 
mines  and  the  local  representatives  of  the  MacArthur- 
Forrest  process  (the  Mexican  Gold  and  Silver  Recov- 
ery Co.,  Limited),  fortunately  terminated  amicably. 
Towards  the  beginning  of  this  year  the  Guanajuato  Re- 
duction and  Mines  Co.  were  sued  by  the  agents  of  the 
cyanide  patents  for  infringement,  and  the  matter  pro- 


258  Meccico's  Treasure-House 

ceeded  sufficiently  far  to  secure  the  Bustos  mill  at 
Guanajuato  being  enjoined  by  the  local  judge,  and  his 
official  seals  being  put  upon  the  doors  and  cyanide  vats. 
It  looked  as  if  every  one  of  the  companies  using  a  cya- 
nide plant  would  join  in  and  make  common  cause  with 
the  Reduction  and  Mines  Co.,  and,  but  for  wiser  counsel 
prevailing,  this  would  have  happened.  But  the  agents 
proving  reasonable  and  far  from  vindictive,  a  compro- 
mise was  effected,  the  law  being  undoubtedly  on  the  side 
of  the  patentees  and  common  sense  on  the  side  of  the 
mining  companies. 

The  great  uncertainties  of  mining  are  too  well  known 
and  have  been  too  often  experienced  to  need  much  com- 
ment. In  the  mining  district  of  Mexico  as  in  all  others 
which  I  have  visited  in  different  parts  of  the  world, 
great  surprises  and  intense  disappointments  are  continu- 
ally being  experienced.  The  most  promising  floors  or 
chutes  which  even  an  experienced  miner  may  deem  cer- 
tain to  hold  out  for  a  good  area,  suddenly  become  inter- 
rupted hy  sterile  portions  which  no  one  could  have  fore- 
seen, or  are  diminished  in  their  thickness  or  reduced  in 
value.  On  the  other  hand,  poor  and  apparently  worth- 
less portions  of  a  lode,  regarded  as  of  no  value  at  all, 
have  unexpectedly  shown  rich  ore  chutes  or  even  "bon- 
anzas." Again  and  again  has  this  proved  the  case 
among  the  Mexican  mines,  so  that  every  recurring  day 
has  its  delights  as  well  as  its  delusions. 

The  surest  way  to  distribute  the  dangers  and  at  the 
same  time  equalize  the  successes  of  mining  is  to  distri- 
bute one's  eggs  through  many  baskets ;  in  other  words, 
hold  and  work  several  mining  properties  simultaneously. 
The  best  method  to  ensure  success — all-round  success 


Uncertainties  in  Mining  259 


bien  entendu — in  a  lode-mining  country  like  Guanajua- 
to, for  instance,  is  to  carry  on  operations  upon  several 
independent  and  proved  mining  claims,  so  that  at  least 
one  of  them  may  be  certain  to  flourish,  while  one  of  the 
others  may  be  in  a  state  of  development  or  temporary 
falling  off  in  returns,  after  having  yielded  a  consider- 
able output.  Economies  in  management  can  also  be 
effected.  This  is  the  case  with  practically  all  the  Guan- 
ajuato companies,  each  of  which  possesses  several  mines, 
not  all  contiguous  either,  and  thus  its  interests  are  care- 
fully spread  over  a  large  area  with  every  prospect  of 
some,  at  least,  turning  out  "trumps"  and,  not  improb- 
ably, all  of  them  in  due  time. 

The  End. 


Index. 


Abasolo,  25 

Abundancia,  84 

Adams,  Albert  J.,  164 

Adams,  Lawrence  P.,  164,  247 

Adobero,  70 

Aerometer  Co.,  206 

Agassiz,  221 

Agriculture,  40,  44 

Alaman^  Lucas,  219,  221 

Aldama,  25 

Alhondiga,  22,  29 

Allende,  47 

Amalgamated    Gold    Mines    Co., 

164,  176 
American  Miners,  6l,  63 
Andrade,  Jesus,  198 
Anglo-Mexican     Co.,     84,     213, 

217,  220,  226 
Anglo-Saxon  capital,  10,  211 
Aparecida,  119,  231 
Architecture,    Spanish,   23 
Argentina  Mine,  231 
Arrastres,  52 

Ascuncion  de  la  Navarra,  84 
Avio,  65 
Avispero,  83 

B 

Bailey,  Leonard  O.,  99 
Bajio,  El,  34 
Barragana  Group,  76 
Bartlett,  John  S.,  99 
Bartolo,  San  72 
Beaton,  Geo.  A.,  90 
Blaisdell  Process,  147-152 
Bolanitos  Mines,  198,  199 
"Bonanza,"  65 


Borde,  de  la,  1 7 

Brennon,  J.  C,  239 

Brickmaking,  69 

British  capital,  8,  217-224 

Brown  &  Sharp,  212 

Bryant  Dam,   137 

Bryant,    George    W.,    90,     106, 

109,  117,  119,  120,  121,  124, 

230,  233,  234. 
Buenavista  Mines  Co.,  231 
Buildings,  public,  25 
Bustos,  Francisco  de,  85 
Bustos  Mill,  23,  93 
Butler,  John  S.,  82 


Cannon,  R.  W.,  164 

Carcel,  20 

Cardonas,  72,  76 

Carmen,  El,  186 

Carmen,  Guanajuato,  72 

Carpenter,  A.  B.,  127,  236 

Cata,  12,  83,  84,  85,  91,  92,  93, 

94,  186,  187,  215,  220. 
Catorce  Mine,  58,  59,  218 
Cattle  raising,  115,  116 
Cayetano,  San.  57 
Cedro   Mine,   57,  64,    103,    107- 

111 
Cedro    Mining    &    Milling    Co., 

117 
Celaya,  47,  206 
Central  Mine,  112,  117,  234 
Central  Mining  &  Milling  Co., 

117 
Central  Railway,  31,  38,  48 
Churches,  63,  87 
Cogswell,  C.  V.  R.,  82 


u 


Index 


Communications,  48 

Conclusion,  253 

Consolidated   Mining  &   Milling 

Co.      See  Guanajuato 
Corning,  F.  L..  82 
Cortez,  Hernano,  129 
Costumes,  peons',  71 
Cotton  mills,  46 
Cox,  Geo.  B.,  99 
Cubo  Mine,  57,   180,   190,   200, 

215 
Curtis,  Leonard  E.,  89,  99,  208, 

230 
Cyanide  plant  (G.  C.  M.  &  M. 

Co.),  73,  9S 

D 

Dam,  Bryant,   137 
Del  Rio,' Martinez,  99 
Departments,  47 
Development    Co.,    Guanajuato. 

See  Guanajuato 
Development  Co.,  Mineral.     See 

Mineral 
Development  work,   181 
Diaz,  Porfirio,  25 
Divisions,  47 
Doblado,  25 

Doble,  Robert  McF.,  208 
Dolores,  Tajo  de,  188-196 
Dos  Estrellos,  10,  33 
Dowd,  Chas.  F.,  99 
Dredging  machinery,  126 
Duarte,  Viscount  de,  85 
Duero  River,  202,  203 
Dump,  value  of,   173 
Dwight,  Theodore,  154,  239 

E 
El  Bajio.  tr. 

El  Real  del  Monte  Mines,  224 
Electrical     Co.,     Westinghouse, 

228 
Electricity  in  mining,  225-228 
Electrical  machinery,  136,  226 


Electric    power,    90,    137,    138, 
202,  205,  206,  207,  209,  227 
Emma,  84 

Esperanza  Mine,  33,  83 
Esperanza  Reservoir,  26,  29 
Estrada  Cccilio,  190 
Exports  of  metal,  13 
Extravagance  in  mining,  213 


Feast  days,  63 

Fillcy,  H.  H.,  208 

Finances : 

G.  Redu.  &  Mines  Co.,  97,  98 
Cons.  M.  &  M.  Co.,  81 
Peregrina  M.  &  M.  Co.,  129 
Guan.  Dev.  Co..  105 
Mineral  Dev.  Co.,  153 

Financial  News,  The,  12 

Flora,  40 

Flour  mills,  46 

Food  of  peons,  70 

Fruits,  40 

Furness,  Dwight,  64,  243-246 


"Gigante,"  34 
Godoy,  Manuel,   156,   157 
Gold  production,  49.  50 
Gonzalez,  Joaquin  Obregon,  190, 

229,  230 
Gorda,  Sierra,  47 
Governor    of    Guanajuato,    229, 

230 
Granaditas,  20 
Griscom,  Clement  A.,  99 
Guadalupe  M.  &  M.  Co.,  231 
Guanajuato: 

Consolidated  Mining  cc  Mill- 
ing Co.,  57,  72-82,  86,  186, 
224,  256 

Development  Co.,  40,  100, 
101,  107,  109,  111,  112,231 

Foundation  of,  15 


Index 


m 


Governor  of,  229 

Power  &  Electric  Co.,  90,  137, 

201-210 
Pronunciation  of,  18 
Reduction   &    Mines    Co.,    57, 

97-99,  238,  258 
River  Gold  M.  Co.,  123,  124, 

236 
Sierra  of,  34,  35 
Situation  of,  17 

H 

Hacienda  de  Flores,  256 

Haciendas,  126 

Hamill,  S.  M.,  99 

Hammond,  John  Hays,  16 

Harris,  E.,  164,  248 

Hidalgo,  21,  25,  29,  31,  36 

Hill  of  Frogs,  19 

Hill,  R.  T.,  90 

Hine,  Henry,  99,  208,  230 

Hobson,  F.  J.,  91,  122,  128,  237, 

256 
House  rents,  30 
Humboldt,  Baron  von,  58,  212 


Imports  and  exports,  45,  46 
Independencia,  84 
Industrial  establishments,  46 
Inundation,  37,  38,  39 
Irapuato,  S5,  202,  206 


Jalisco,  33,  116 

Jardin  de  la  Union,  24 

Jardin,  Plaza,  26 

Jesus  Maria,  l65,  166,  l67,  l69, 

170,  215 
Juarez,  Benito,  25 
Juarez,  Teatro,  24 

K 

Karsch,  George,  164 


Kincaid  Mills,   137 
Kurtz,  C.  L.,  90,  99 


Labor,  61-66 

Laja,  34,  35 

La  Loca,  189 

La  Luz,  15,  84,  89,  163,  164 

La  Luz  Mines,  167-169,  197 

La  Luz  Mines  Co.,  197,  231 

La  Planta,  154 

La  Presa,  29 

La  Sorda,  154,  162 

La  Torre,  159-162 

La  Union  Tunnel,  I6l,l62 

La  Union  y  Constancia,  185-188 

Leggett,  T.  H.,  190 

Leon,  48,  202 

Lerma,  34,  35 

Lepanto  Mine,  231 

Limantour,  J.  Y.,  49 

Living,  cost  of,  30 

Locke  Mfg.  Co.,  206 

Loreto,  84 

Lydecker,  Major  C.  E.,  154 

M 

MacArthur-Forrest  Process,  200, 

256,  257 
MacDonald,    B.,    82,    224,    250, 

251,  252 
MacDonald,  M.  E.,  82,  224,  249 
McElhiney,    Geo.    W.,    89,    90, 

102-106,   117,  119,   120,  124, 
Maguey,  El,  83 
Main,  Chas.  T.,  208 
Manon  Vein,  156 
Maravillas,  83 
Marm,  17,  29,  31,  38,  48 
Matilde  Mine,  231 

125,  230,  232,  233 
Mejiamora,  84 
Mellado,  12,  15,  83,  187 
Metal,  exports  of,  13 


IV 


Index 


Mexiamara,  182 

Mexican  Cons.  &  Eng.  Co.,  39 

Mexican  Gold  &  Silver  Recovery 

Co.,  237,  257 
Mexican  Securities  Co.,  231 
Miller,  H.  H.,  154 
^Milling  process: 

G.  C.  M.  &  M.  Co.,  72,  73,  80 

Pcregrina,  140-145 
Mills: 

Cotton,  46 

Woolen,  46 

Flour,  46 
Miner,  American,  61-63 
Mineral  Development  Co.,   153- 

162 
Mines  Selection  Co.,  223,  224 
Mining  and  agriculture,  41 
Mining  camps,  55,  5Q 
Mining,    uncertainties    in,    258, 

259 
Mother  Vein,  11,  15,  59,  72-77, 

88-90,  108,  119-121,  154,  159, 

160,  254 
Mountains,  34, 
Mozo,  The,  66 
Mulford,  R.,  85 
National  Mine,  55 

N 

National  Railway  Lines,  49 

Navidad  Mines,  231 

Naval  Milling  Co.,  117 

Nayal  Mine,  57 

Nopal  Mine,  157,  158 

Noria  Alta  Mine,  57 

Norris,  R.  V.  154 

Nuestra  Senora  de  Guanajuato, 

84 
Nueva  Luz  Mine,  155-158 


Olla,  La,  38 

Ores,  Guanajuato,  253,  254 

Organization  and  Staff,  117 


Pabellon  Mine,  184 

Pan- Amalgamation,  55 

Panteon,  22 

Parker,  Leroy,  99 

Pastita,  29 

Patio  process,  51-54 

Peck,   Frank   G.,    121-123,   235, 

236 
Peons,  67-70 
Peons'  food,  70 
Peregrina   ISIine,   57,    117,    118, 

127-139,  255,  256 
Peregrina  Min.  &  Mill.  Co.,  127, 

129 
Peregrina  Stamp  Mill,  140 
Pinguico  Mine,  57,  103-107 
Pinguico  Min.  &  Mill.  Co.,  117, 

118 
Plateros,  84,  167,  l68,  171 
Plaza,  Jardin,  26 
Portland  Gold  Mining  Co.,  235 
Power  &  Electric  Co.,  The,  90, 

137,  202,  206,  207,  209,  210 
Power,  lack  of  cheap,  89 
Power   plant    (G.   C.    M.   &   M. 

Co.),  73 
Preface,  7-14 
Press    Comments    on    Work    by 

same  Author,  vii-ix 
Priests  and  peons,  68 
Productions,  10-12,  59,  84,  107, 

113,  146,  154,  155,  157,  160, 

161,  167,  169,  179,  183,  196 
Promontorio,  187 
Purisima  del   Cedro,    187 
Purisima  Tunnel,   77 


Obregon,  17,  85,  87 
Obrero  del  Porvenir,  84 


Queretaro,  33 


Index 


Railway,  Central,  31,  38,  48 
Railways,  31,  45,  48,  49 
Rain,  36 

Ramsden,  Percy  H.,  238 
Rayas,   12,   17,  83,  85,  86,  214, 

215 
Rayas,  Marquis  de,  85,  214 
Reduction  &  Mines  Co.,  57,  83- 

84,  89,  97-99,  231,  258 
Refugio  Mine,  57,  197,  198 
Regie  Mine,  231 
Residences,  26 
Revolution,  3Q,  88,  221 
Rhodes,  Cecil,  8,  16 
River   Dredging  &   G.   M.   Co., 

123,  124 
Rivers,  34,  35 
Robles,  Carlos,  99 
Rosario,  84 

Rowe,  Norman,  248,  249 
Rul  estate,  84 
Rul  family,  88 
Ryan,  Edwin  P.,  246,  247 
Salamanca,  32 
San  Bartolo,  72 
San  Cayetano,  57,  178-180,  183, 

184,  214,  215 
San  Felipe,  34 
San  Francisco  de  Pili,  84 
San  Gregorio,  32 

S 

San  Isidro  Ranch,  103,  114-116 

San  Isidro  Dam,  115 

San  Jorge  Mine,  231 

San  Judas,  34 

San  Luis  Potosi,  33 

San  Matias  Mill,  122 

San  Miguel  el  Grande,  26 

San  Pedro  Gilmonea,  84 

San  Prospero,  57,  121-123,  148, 

228 
San  Rafael,  55,  215 


San  Vicente,  72,  76 

Santa  Inez,  158 

Santa  Nino,  84 

Santa  Rosa,  76 

Santiago,  34 

Saturday  Night  Club,  27 

Secho,  84,  215 

Securities      Corporation,      Ltd., 

101-103,  117,  231 
Sherrod,  V.  B.,  248 
Sierra  de  Guanajuato,  34,  35 
Sierra  Gorda,  48 
Sirena,  15,  72,  74,  75,  76,  218, 

220 
Smith,  John  F,,  164 
Social  Life,  27 
Springtime,  40 
Stamp  Mill,  Peregrina,   140 
Stamp   Mills    (G.   C.   M.   &  M. 

Co.),  73,  76,  77,  79 
Stamps,  Number  of,  57 
State  of  Guanajuato,  33 
States  of  Republic,  33 
Stealing  tools,  67,  68 
Stehr,  F.  W.,  99 
Struthers,  Dr.  Joseph,   154 


Tailings,    123 

Tajo  de  Dolores,  188-196 

Tasco  Mine,  17 

Taylor,  Jr.,  L.  H.,  154 

Teatro  Juarez,  24 

Tejada,  Lerdo  de,  229 

Telephone,  30 

Tepayac,   15,   84,  92,   187,  214, 

215,  220 
"Through     Five     Republics     of 

South  America,  i 
Timber,  40 
Todos  Santos,  84 
Topographical  features,  33 
Torta,  52 
Tortillas,  70 


VI 


Index 


Trade,  45 

Tramway  Co.,  29 

Transmission  line,  206 

Tunnel,  39 

Tunnel,  San  Cayetano,  178 

Turbine   generators,   205 

Turbio,  34 

Turner,  Martin  F.,  99 

U 

Uncertainties     in    mining, 

259 
Union,  La,  84 
United    Mexican    Co.,    84, 

181,  211,  214,  215,  218, 

222 

V 

Valenciana,  12,  17,  23,  83, 
158,    214,   220,    221 

Van  Doren,  J.  E.,  154 

Van  Law,  C.  W.,  90,  99, 
243 

Veta  Madre,  11,  72,  75-77, 
186,   214 


Victoria    Mine,    117,    120,    121, 

231 
ViUalpando,  214,  220 
Virdon,  Mr.,  154 

W 

Wages,  61,  62 
Ward,  H.  G.,  41-44 
War   of    Independence,    28,    29, 
.58  31,  36,  191 

'      Water  supply,  115 

Westinghouse  Elec.  &  Mfg  Co., 
„Q  228,  248 

'I'      Whitney,  J.  P.,   154 
^^'      Wiley,  Capt.  W.  M.,   154,  241, 
242 

155,  Y 

Yeatman,  Pope,  99 
242,  2 

108.       Zacatecas,  214 

Zamora,  City  of,  202 


Work  by  the  Same  Author  vii 


WORK  BY  THE  SAME  AUTHOR. 

"Through  Five  Republics  (of  South  America)   1905." 
500  pp.;  9Q  illustrations;  3  maps;  Price  9.1 /s.  ($5.25   JJ.  S.  Cy.). 
(London:    W.  Heinemann;     20-21  Bedford  St.,  Covent  Garden.) 


"Nothing  escapes  his  critical  pen.  .  .  .  We  can  cordially  praise  his 
industry  and  catholicity  of  interests." 

"Illustrated  London  Nervs,"  Feb.  23,  '06. 

"The  book  is  a  valuable  book  and  a  conscientious  book.  We  look 
forward  to  Mr.  Martin's  promised  story  of  Juan  Fernandez." 

"Manchester  Guardian,"  Dec.  21,   1905. 

"It  is  evidently  a  painstaking  and  laborious  production,  and  mer- 
its the  most  appreciative  consideration." 

"South  American  Journal,"  Nov.  25,  1905. 

"Mr.  Martin's  last  book  'Through  Five  Republics  of  South  Amer- 
ica' had  a  heavy  sale."         "The  Mexican  Herald,"  Jan.  11,  1905. 

"Mr.  Martin  deserves  congratulations  on  publishing  a  book  which 
he  alone,  probably,  was  qualified  to  write." 

"The  Sheffield  Daily  Telegraph,"  Nov.  29,  1905. 

"Mr,  Martin  is  a  very  competent  writer  on  commercial  and  finan- 
cial matters.  His  book  (upon  Mexico)  will  undoubtedly  attract 
great  attention  here."         "The  Mexican  Herald,"  April  3,  1906. 

"We  would  commend  this  excellent  book  to  the  attention  of  our 
readers.  It  can  be  consulted  with  confidence  by  all  interested  in  that 
part  of  the  world  with  which  the  author  deals." 

"The  Field,"  Jan.  20,  1906. 

"We  hope  that  its  success  may  induce  him  to  take  the  pen  in  his 
hand  again.  The  work  is  extremely  interesting  and  should  greatly 
enhance  the  reputation  of  its  author." 

"The  Mining  World,"  Dec.  30,  1905. 

"Mr.  Martin  is  highly  recommended  by  prominent  people  of 
England  and  Mexico,  including  President  Diaz,  and  his  report 
upon  Guanajuato  promises  to  be  the  most  complete  and  authoritative 
that  the  district  has  had  for  years." 

"The  Jalisco  Times,"  April  6,  1906. 

"A  book  which  will  be  found  of  some  value  by  commercial  men 
and  possibly  by  politicians.  It  may  be  read  together  with  the  more 
historical  volumes Mr.  Martin  writes  with  knowledge  of  par- 
ticular cases  and  carries  more  weight  than  do  more  general  critics." 

"The  Athenaeum,"  Dec.  2,  1905. 


viii  Work  by  the  Same  Author 


"A  most  interesting  book  on  the  present  condition  of  South  Am- 
erica is  "Through  Five  lUpublics,"  to  which  I  am  referring  else- 
where, by  Percy  F.  Martin,  F.  R.  G.  S.  The  book  is  filled  with 
useful  and  at  the  same  time  readable  information." 

"T.  P.'s  Weekly,"  Jan.  5,   1906. 

"Mr.  Martin's  book  carries  all  the  conviction  of  candor,  for  the 

author  does  not  hesitate  to  blame  as  well  as  praise No  serious 

student  will  find  fault  with  a  record  which  so  overwhelmingly  out- 
weighs blame  with  praise  and  which  so  strikingly  opens  up  a 
wondci'ful  vista  of  progress  and  of  industrial  opportunity." 

"The  World's  Work,"  Nov.,  1905. 

"A  sturdy  and  substantial  volume  of  over  five  hundred  pages  full 
of  hard  information,  picturesque  notes  and  descriptions,  chapters 
on  international  politics  and  social  evolution,  the  railways  and  traffic 
and  trade  of  that  strange  continent  where  they  seem  as  ready  for  a 
revolution  as  a  bull-fight  whenever  there  is  an  afternoon  to  spare.  .  . 
A  good  many  must  come  and  go  before  this  book  ceases  to  be  a  ser- 
viceable and  interesting  mine  of  information  regarding  South  Am- 
erica and  its  present  stage  of  progress." 

"The  Pall  Mall  Gazette,"  Feb.  24,  19O6. 

"Certainly  no  one  can  accuse  Mr.  Martin  of  painting  too  glowing 
pictures  of  the  Republic,  he  visited.  He  pitilessly  describes  the  bru- 
tality and  hideous  folly  of  the  revolutions  which  so  often  disgrace 

some  of  these  Republics The  letters  which  appeared  in  our 

columns  in  the  first  half  of  the  year  have  already  familiarized  our 
readers  with  Mr.  Martin's  fluent  pen,  and  will  have  shown  how  well 

qualified  he  is  to  give  his  impressions  on  other  industrial  and  social 
aspects  of  these  States."         "The  Railway  News,"  Dec.  2.  1905. 

"Mr.  Percy  F.  Martin,  F.  R.  G.  S.,  has  been  travelling  to  good 
purpose  throughout  the  South  American  Republics.  His  book  is 
written  with  scientific  accuracy  of  statement,  and  also  in  a  pleasant 
flowing  style  that  makes  it  both  interesting  and  easy  reading.  It  may 
be  regarded  as  a  standard  work  of  reference.  .  .  .  The  author  may  be 
accepted  as  a  trustworthy  guide He  presents  valuable  infor- 
mation  The  author  goes  into  commercial  statistics  at  con- 
siderable length  in  this  noteworthy  work,  and  he  throws  out  some 
suggestions  for  remodelling  and  reviewing  the  work  of  the  British 
consuls  and  vice-consuls  in  the  diff'erent  Republics." 

"The  Sydney  Daily  Telegraph,"  Jan.  27,  1906. 

"Will  be  exceedingly  useful  to  people  who  are  tliinking  of  making 
investments  in  that  Continent.  Mr.  Martin  is  a  keen  critic  of  busi- 
ness undertakings,  and  has  extensive  stores  of  information  to  im- 


Work  hy  the  Same  Author  ix 

part  on  such  subjects  as  railways,  minerals  and  agricultural  pros- 
pects      Particularly  valuable  as  a  guide  to  the  way  in 

which  British  capital  has  been,  and  may  with  advantage  continue  to 
be,  invested.  As  regards  the  railways  of  the  five  Republics,  one 
could  not  hope  for  a  more  thorough  and  precise  account  of  their  con- 
dition and  prospects."       "The  Morning  Leader,"  March  6,  1906. 

"What  is  most  important  to  record  is  that  the  contents  are  at  once 
informing  and  interesting.  Mr.  Martin  has  not  made  up  his  sub- 
ject; he  knows  it  from  the  inside,  and  he  has  been  able  to  vary  his 
pages  with  side-lights  on  social  matters  with  authoritative  particulars 
relating  to  economic  questions  and  occasional  criticism  of  political 

affairs Reform  is  urgently  needed  in  this  matter  (the  British 

Consular  Service)  and  it  is  well  that  Mr.  Martin  should  have  drawn 
attention  to  it  in  its  relations  to  that  particular  quarter  of  the  globe 
from  which,  during  the  present  century,  the  largest  commercial  de- 
velopments may  be  looked  for." 

"The  Morning  Post,"  Jan.  11,  1906. 

"The  value  of  the  book  is  much  increased  by  the  up-to-date  charac- 
ter of  much  of  the  information,  some  of  the  statistics  coming  down 
to  the  past  summer.  One  can  find  all  that  one  wants  to  know  or  what 
Mr.  Martin  thinks  about  the  railway  systems,  the  financial  status, 
and  the  commercial  prospects  of  the  various  countries,  and  a  very 
readable  list  has  the  advantage  of  interpretation  by  a  large  number 
of  excellent  illustrations.  The  net  result  to  the  general  reader  is  an 
entertaining  useful  volume,  and  there  certainly  does  not  exist  a  work 
which  presents  in  so  comprehensive  a  form  the  latest  political  and 
commercial  information  of  the  leading  countries  of  South  America." 
"The  Financial  Times,"  Nov.  21.   1905. 

"Mr.  Martin's  qualifications  for  so  large  a  book  are  unquestion- 
able. The  author,  as  our  own  columns  have  from  time  to  time  testi- 
fied, in  recent  years,  is  an  indefatigable  pioneer  of  commerce.  His 
experiences  have  hitherto  been  embodied  in  newspaper  articles  solely, 
and  he  is  to  be  congratulated  upon  his  decision  to  bring  together  in 
more  permanent  form  the  results  of  his  three  years  investigations  in 

South  America Altogther  it  would  be  difficult  to  overestimate 

the  value  of  this  volume  as  an  aid  to  the  development  of  our  com- 
mercial interests  in  the  regions  dealt  with,  and  it  may  be  hoped  that 
it  will  be  appreciated  as  fully  as  it  deserves  by  our  merchants  and 
manufacturers."  "The  Glasgow  Herald,"  December  3,  1905. 


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